[ad_1]
PUERTO RICO (LPL/AP) — Puerto Rico’s governor signed a law Wednesday that bans discrimination against people who wear afros, curls, braids and other hairstyles in the ethnically diverse U.S. territory.
The measure was welcomed by those who have long called for clear protections in jobs, housing, education and public services.
“This is a victory for future generations,” Welmo Romero Joseph, community coordinator for the nonprofit Taller Salud, said in an interview.
The group is one of several that has been pushing for the law, and Romero said it sends a strong message that “you don’t have to change your identity to get a position of power.”
Although Puerto Rico’s laws and constitution prohibit discrimination, as does Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, a 2016 U.S. Court of Appeals set precedent when it dismissed a discrimination lawsuit and ruled that an Alabama employer’s no-braids policy did not violate the Act.
Earlier this year, lawmakers inside the United States held public hearings on the issue, during which several Puerto Ricans shared examples of how they had been discriminated against, including job opportunities that were conditional on getting a haircut.
It was a familiar story for Romero, who recalled how a high school principal ordered him to cut his hair.
“It’s a source of pride,” he said of the haircut. “I’m a 4.0 student. What does this have to do with my hair?” Puerto Rico has a population of 3.2 million, of which more than 1.6 million identify as two or more races, and nearly 230,000 identify solely as black, according to the U.S. Census.
The law signed Wednesday states that “unfortunately, people who identify as black or of African descent in Puerto Rico continue to face derogatory treatment, denial of opportunities, marginalization, exclusion, and various types of discrimination.”
Romero praised the law but warned that steps needed to be taken to ensure its compliance.
In the continental United States, at least two dozen states have passed versions of the CROWN Act, which seeks to ban race-based hair discrimination and advocates for “creating an open and respectful world for natural hair.”
They included Texas, where a black high school student was suspended after school officials said his dreadlocks grew below his eyebrows and earlobes, violating the dress code.
A March report from the Economic Policy Institute found that not all states have amended education laws to protect public and private high school students, and that some states allow certain exceptions to the CROWN Act.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a federal version in 2022, but it failed in the Senate. In May, Democratic lawmakers reintroduced the legislation.
English:
PUERTO RICO (AP) — Puerto Rico’s governor signed a law Wednesday that bans discrimination against people with Afros, curls, braids, twists, dreadlocks and other hairstyles in the ethnically diverse U.S. territory.
The move was welcomed by those who have long called for clear protections in jobs, housing, education and public services.
“This is a victory for future generations,” Welmo Romero Joseph, community coordinator for the nonprofit Taller Salud, said in an interview.
The group is one of several that has been working to push for the legislation, which Romero said sends a strong message that “you don’t have to change who you are to have power.”
While Puerto Rico’s laws and constitution, as well as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, protect people from discrimination, a precedent was set in 2016 when a U.S. Court of Appeals dismissed a discrimination lawsuit and ruled that an Alabama employer’s policy banning dreadlocks did not violate Title VII.
Earlier this year, lawmakers in the U.S. territory held a public hearing on the issue, where some Puerto Ricans shared examples of discrimination they had experienced, including having job opportunities conditioned on getting a haircut.
Romero is all too familiar with the story, recalling a high school principal ordering him to get a crew cut.
“It was a point of pride,” he said of the haircut. “I was a 4.0 student. What does that have to do with my hair?” More than 1.6 million of Puerto Rico’s 3.2 million people identify as two or more races, and nearly 230,000 identify as black, according to the U.S. Census.
“Unfortunately, in Puerto Rico, people who identify as black or of African descent still face degrading treatment, denial of opportunities, marginalization, exclusion, and all forms of discrimination,” the law signed Wednesday states.
While praising the law, Romero also warned that steps need to be taken to ensure it is followed.
In the United States, at least two dozen states have approved different versions of the CROWN Act, which aims to prohibit racial discrimination based on hair and advocate “creating a respectful and open world for natural hair.”
That included Texas, where a black high school student was suspended for violating the dress code by having his hair below his eyebrows and earlobes.
A March report from the Economic Policy Institute found that not all states have amended their education codes to protect public and private high school students, and that some states allow certain exceptions to the CROWN Act.
The federal version passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022 but failed in the Senate. In May, Democratic lawmakers reintroduced the bill.
Photo: David Villafane/gfrmedia.com/AP
[ad_2]
Source link
