Gwen Moore: “I thank Bonnie Watson Coleman for her stewardship over this bill. I also want to thank Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and…”

“I thank Bonnie Watson Coleman for her stewardship over this bill. I also want to thank Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and so many women who rose up to support this, not only this session but last session as well. I want to thank State representative LaKeshia Myers in my State in the city of Milwaukee for the ordinances and the bills that they have passed, which are similar to the CROWN Act. Mr. Speaker, just let me say, with my short 2 minutes here, that my being instilled with low self-esteem started before I got to kindergarten, and it all revolved around my nappy hair and the way it just coiled. Two minutes is not long enough to carry you on this journey of what it is like to have your employers tell you that you are making them look bad because of the way your hair looks, and having hot combs, lye, chemicals, and being burned so that you can look White. When I ran for this office in 2005 because I had so many pictures with my hair coifed in a European style, my handlers wouldn't let me change it. After 20 hours a day of campaigning every day, I had to figure out how to straighten my hair out. Thank God for the CROWN Act. Mr. Speaker, I thank God for being able to stand here under the e pluribus unum as my authentic, nappy-headed self.”