Title
To declare July 3, 2021 as NATIONAL CROWN DAY in the City of Columbus and to recognize and express the City’s ongoing support for eliminating racism and implicit bias against natural hair.
Body
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council remains committed to eliminating racism, reducing health inequities, and promoting systematic efforts to improve the quality of life for each of its residents, this includes a methodical focus to eliminate poverty, increase economic mobility, and to address factors that impact the social determinants of health; this Council recognizes that Implicit biases remain a part of American culture, despite the efforts that have been made to create an accepting environment; this includes the passing of laws that embrace diversity and inclusion and the ongoing quest to reverse racist ideologies that assume that Black traits are inferior - despite these efforts black hair remains a rampant source of racial discrimination with somber economic and health consequences, especially for Black Americans - studies show that Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair and that a Black woman is 80% more likely to change her natural hair to adhere to social norms or expectations in the workplace; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council expressed its commitment by adopting a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis on June 1, 2020; it also adopted a resolution expressing its support for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair on July 30, 2020; and codified legislation strengthening provisions within the Columbus City Code to include protections to prevent people wearing cultural or natural hairstyles from being discriminated against on December 17, 2020; and
WHEREAS July 3, 2021, marks the 2nd anniversary of the passing of the first legislation to recognize the CROWN ACT in the United States; in a ground breaking decision the State of California enacted legislation to recognize t...
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