[Special Called Quality of Life, Arts and Culture Committee on May 10, 2023.]
[00:00:03]
THE TIME IS NOW 8:31 AND I CALL TO ORDER THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MAY 10TH, 2023. THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE CROWN ACT RESOLUTION.
CITY ATTORNEY. CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WHO'S BRIEFING FOR THIS? IT SAYS BRIEFING.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY BRIEFING, BUT I CAN JUST GIVE YOU SOME REALLY BRIEF BACKGROUND IF YOU'D LIKE, OR YOU MIND GIVING US A SUMMARY, PLEASE? SURE. SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT TODAY IS A RESOLUTION THAT SHOWS SUPPORT FOR THE CROWN ACT.
THIS IS AN ACT THAT IS CURRENTLY PENDING AT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE.
IT HAS PASSED THE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ON THE HOUSE SIDE.
THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO GO TO CHAIRMAN THOMAS.
ALL RIGHT. THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE RESOLUTION? YES, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO THE COMMITTEE.
CALLING THE SPECIAL CALL MEETING.
AS WAS STATED, THIS BILL INITIALLY WAS BROUGHT FORTH IN 2021 IN THE STATE HOUSE, AND IT GOT OUT OF COMMITTEE, MADE IT TO TO THE HOUSE, BUT IT DID NOT MAKE IT IN ENOUGH TIME IN ORDER FOR IT TO TO BE VOTED ON.
IT DID MAKE IT OUT OF THE SENATE THIS TIME.
GROUP OF SUPPORT FROM VARIOUS AREAS.
AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE LOOKED AT THEIR RESOLUTION, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I THANK OUR CITY ATTORNEY, THE CITY ATTORNEY, TAMMY AND HER TEAM AND CASEY FOR GETTING THIS DRAFT DONE SO WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
IT'S GOING TO REALLY, REALLY HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY SHOULD BE.
FEEL FREE TO BE ABLE TO WEAR THEIR HAIR, HOW THEY CHOOSE TO AND THE WORK ENVIRONMENT IN SCHOOLS.
WE'VE HAD STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED BECAUSE OF HOW THEY WERE CHOSEN TO WEAR THEIR HAIR.
WE'VE HAD STUDENTS WHO WERE PREVENTED FROM GRADUATION WALKING AND PARTICIPATING IN GRADUATION.
AND SO I THINK FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS SENDING A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT AND BEING ABLE TO MOVE THIS IN A TIMELY MANNER, TO BE ABLE TO GET IT, TOO . STATE REP READ ABOUT WHO'S BEEN LEADING THIS EFFORT WOULD BE A REALLY, REALLY STRONG STATEMENT THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF TRUE FREEDOM AND HOW YOU COME TO THE WORKPLACE OR COME TO THE EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN THOMAS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? MR. RIDLEY, I HAVE NOT SEEN THE RESOLUTION, AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS BODY SHOULD TAKE A POSITION ON THIS. NOR DO I UNDERSTAND WHO IT WOULD APPLY TO.
CAN ANYONE ANSWER THIS QUESTIONS? YES, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
THE CHAIRMAN, THOMAS, ASKED FOR THIS TO BE BROUGHT UP THROUGH THE COUNCIL FOR US TO HAVE A NON-BINDING RESOLUTION, BUT A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR OUR DELEGATION AND THE OTHER LEGISLATURES DOWN IN THE STATE HOUSE AND SENATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS MAKES IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. AS AS WAS MENTIONED, THIS IS THE SECOND SESSION THAT THIS HAS COME UP.
THERE'S CURRENTLY 20 STATES IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE PASSED SIMILAR CROWN ACTS.
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WITH NATURAL HAIR STYLES, COLORS, ET CETERA, FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.SO DOES THIS JUST APPLY IN SCHOOLS OR TO EVERY PERSON IN THE STATE? NO. IF YOU SEE IN SECTION TWO OF THE RESOLUTION AFTER THE WHEREAS IS IT WILL APPLY FOR EMPLOYEES, STUDENTS, ET CETERA.
SO I'M UNCLEAR WHAT THE LANGUAGE PROTECTS EACH STUDENT, EMPLOYEE AND SERVICE RECIPIENT.
WHO? ARE THESE JUST EMPLOYEES OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WHO ARE THE SERVICE RECIPIENTS? WELL, IT'S NOT JUST SCHOOL.
IT'S IN THE WORKPLACE AS WELL.
IT PREVENTS ANY DISCRIMINATION, SCHOOL, WORKPLACE AS IT RELATES TO HOW YOU CHOOSE TO WEAR YOUR HAIR IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS. WELL, WHO ARE THE SERVICE RECIPIENTS? WHERE IS THAT? I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S FOR EVEN ALONG THE LINES OF SOME OF OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS WITH LIKE PARTNERS FOR WHETHER IT BE HOUSING OR OTHER SERVICES NEEDED AS WELL.
IS THAT DEFINED IN THIS BILL ANYWHERE? I WOULD NEED TO GET THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO IT APPLIES TO STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES AND PEOPLE SEEKING HOUSING.
PEOPLE SEEKING HOUSING? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? CORRECT.
SO YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DISCRIMINATE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY IS TRYING TO RENT, FOR INSTANCE, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IF YOU DISCRIMINATED BASED UPON HAIRSTYLE OR HAIR TYPE.
WELL, AREN'T THERE CURRENT OPEN HOUSING LAWS THAT PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE? YES, BUT NOT BASED UPON APPEARANCE OR HAIR TYPE OR TEXTURE.
IN REALITY, MR. RIDLEY, I THINK THAT IF THIS WASN'T AN ISSUE, IT WOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE IN EVERY STATE IN OUR COUNTRY.
THIS IS A FACTOR THAT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DEALING WITH IN REGARDS TO DISCRIMINATION, JUST AS THEY HAVE BASED ON THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN. THIS IS MEANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE SOCIETAL NORM AND WHAT WHITE AMERICANS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AND BLACK AMERICANS EXPECTED TO FALL IN LINE WHEN THAT HAS HISTORICALLY MEANT THAT THEY CANNOT EMBRACE THEIR NATURAL SELF.
AND SO BY MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS ARTICULATED IN THAT MANNER, IT'S TRYING TO FREE UP ANY OF THE LOOPHOLES THAT HAVE BEEN USED IN THE PAST TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST. AND AGAIN, IF THAT WASN'T AN ISSUE, THEN IT WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING THAT'S BEING TAKEN UP IN LEGISLATURES ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.
BUT I BELIEVE WE SHOULD LOOK TO OUR BLACK COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR OWN LEARNED EXPERIENCES AND FOR THEIR GUIDANCE ON HOW THIS WILL IMPACT THE COMMUNITY THAT WE REPRESENT.
WELL, I JUST DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THIS, THE BACKGROUND FOR IT.
THIS WAS JUST SPRUNG ON US VERY LAST MINUTE.
AND I DON'T KNOW OF ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FROM THIS.
AND I'M JUST NOT PREPARED TO VOTE ON THIS TODAY.
THAT'S FINE. I BELIEVE THIS TAKES A SIMPLE MAJORITY JUST TO SEND TO COUNCIL.
SO I SEE THAT WE HAVE FOUR OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT.
AND IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, YOU ALL ARE READY TO TAKE A VOTE.
ALL RIGHT. WITH ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NAY. THAT PASSES 4-1 TO SEND T0 COUNCIL.
THANK YOU. AND RIGHT NOW THE TIME IS 8:41 A.M.
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AND I ADJOURN THE QUALITY OF LIFE ARTS AND CULTURE MEETING.THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.