Page 12 - AHATA

A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 24 January 2024
Racially diverse Puerto Rico debates bill that aims to ban hair

discrimination

By DÁNICA COTO “I’m 23 years old, and
Associated Press I’m tired of this problem,”
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) said Julia Llanos Bultrón, a
— Legislators in racially di- teacher who wears corn-
verse Puerto Rico have rows. “I’m very disappoint-
opened a public debate ed with a system that push-
on a bill to explicitly prohibit es us to change the hair
discrimination against hair- with which we’re born.”
styles such as cornrows and Llanos said that a school in
Afros, sparking a heated the northeast town of Faja-
debate. rdo offered her a job last
Local government officials year on condition that she
argue the legislation is un- cut her hair because they
necessary because federal didn’t allow locks. She de-
and local laws already ban clined.
such discrimination. But Similar incidents were re-
Puerto Rican activists said counted by others who
at a hearing Tuesday that spoke at a crowded public
the island’s Afro-Caribbe- hearing held at San Juan’s The Capitol of Puerto Rico stands in San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 29, 2015.
an community still faces seaside Capitol building, Associated Press
discrimination and needs noting that the hairstyles in ple in the U.S. territory of 3.2 the U.S. Census. Puerto Rico Sen. Ana Irma
explicit protection when it question are culturally im- million identify as being of Lorraine León Ramírez, Rivera Lassén, said she
comes to public services, portant and carry historical two or more races, while mother of two sons who didn’t understand the gov-
work, education and hous- significance. nearly 230,000 identify sole- have Afros, said her young- ernment’s position. “What
ing. More than 1.6 million peo- ly as Black, according to est was banned from at- is the problem with adding
tending two different explicit protection?” she
schools until he cut his hair. said.
“It was one of the worst ex- Backing her was Puerto Ri-
periences we’ve had as a can university student Ala-
family,” she said. nis Ruiz Guevara, who said
“The big question is, is it she has been pushing for
fair that our children have creation of the bill because
to grow up with regula- specific hairstyles includ-
tions that undermine their ing braids, locks and Bantu
identity? The answer is no,” knots are not covered by
she said. “It’s time to break certain laws.
these stigmas.” Others pushing for the bill is
A community in Texas has renowned Puerto Rican au-
been grappling with a simi- thor Mayra Santos-Febres.
lar issue even after the state “All of this legal work is so im-
passed a law that went into portant because it creates
effect in September to pro- a protocol that is needed
hibit race-based hair dis- now,” she said. “We need
crimination. tools to defend ourselves
The family of a Black high from systemic racism.”
school student in Belvieu, Debate over the bill is ex-
Texas, is arguing that his pected to continue in up-
suspension since August coming weeks.
has been a violation of the In the U.S. mainland, Texas
new law. The school says and least 23 other states
that the length of Darryl have implemented a ver-
George’s hair, falling be- sion of the CROWN Act,
low his eyebrows and ear which stands for “Create a
lobes, violates the school’s Respectful and Open World
dress code. for Natural Hair.” It bans
In Puerto Rico, government hairstyle discrimination
officials have noted that within employment, hous-
the island’s laws and con- ing, education and public
stitution, along with Title VII accommodation places.
of the Civil Rights Act, pro- The U.S. House of Represen-
tect from discrimination. tatives approved a federal
But a precedent was set version of it in 2022, but it
in 2016 when a U.S. Court failed in the Senate.
of Appeals dismissed a dis- Some government officials
crimination lawsuit after in the Caribbean also have
finding that an employer’s been pushing to relax hair
no-dreadlock policy in Ala- codes at schools, work-
bama did not violate Title places and government
VII. offices.q
During Tuesday’s hearing,
the co-author of the bill,