Minnesota: The CROWN Act (SF37)
Adopted: March 2023 Bill Number: SF37 Governor: Tim Walz Status: Enacted
Minnesota enacted its CROWN Act in March 2023 when Governor Tim Walz signed SF37, adding hair discrimination protections as part of the state’s broader civil rights legislative agenda. The bill prohibits discrimination based on natural hair texture and protective hairstyles.
Key Provisions
Minnesota Human Rights Act amendment. SF37 amends the state’s Human Rights Act to include hair texture and protective hairstyles, including braids, locs, twists, and Bantu knots, within the definition of race.
Comprehensive coverage. Consistent with Minnesota’s broad Human Rights Act, protections extend to employment, housing, public accommodation, education, and credit.
Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The department has jurisdiction over hair-related discrimination complaints under the amended act.
Minnesota Context
Minnesota’s adoption reflected the state’s active legislative engagement on civil rights and equity issues. With approximately 370,000 Black residents, concentrated in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, Minnesota has a significant and growing African American and African immigrant community.
The Twin Cities region, home to major corporations including several Fortune 500 headquarters, presents a corporate landscape where formal grooming standards affect a diverse workforce. Minnesota’s African immigrant community, one of the largest Somali populations outside East Africa, adds cultural dimensions to the hair discrimination conversation.
Minnesota’s adoption in 2023 continued the CROWN Act movement’s steady progression into new states and regions. For the complete timeline, see the CROWN Act timeline. For analysis relevant to European contexts, see Lessons from the CROWN Act for Europe.
For detailed legal analysis of Minnesota’s CROWN Act provisions, contact [email protected].