Puerto Rico Governor Signs Bill Banning Hair Discrimination

Discrimination against black hair and hairstyles is a recurring problem around the world, including the U.S. and its territories. It can affect people in the workplace, at school, and in public spaces where they can be victims of harassment and discrimination. In January of this year, Senator Ana Irma Rivera Lassén of Puerto Rico authored and introduced a bill that would explicitly ban hair discrimination for hairstyles including afros, curls, spirals, locs, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and cornrows. It sparked debate across the island as government officials argued that federal and local laws already provided protections against discrimination, while activists wanted a more explicit law. After months of debate, Governor Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico signed the Hairstyle Discrimination Act (Senate Bill 1282) into law this week, providing permanent protections to those who have struggled to find employment, housing, education, and public services solely because of their hair. More than 230,000 Puerto Ricans identify as Black, making this a high-impact law that will benefit many families. Associated Press reported.

“It’s a victory for future generations,” community organizer Welmo Romero Joseph told the publication.

Before the new law was signed, Puerto Rico’s previous laws, as well as the Constitution and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, protected against discrimination. However, as a U.S. territory, it was also impacted in 2016 when an Alabama court ruled that discrimination against dreadlocks during the hiring process was legal and did not violate Title VII. Similar discriminatory policies have been seen in schools in several U.S. states, which specifically list cornrows, dreadlocks, twists, and other culturally Black hairstyles as against their dress codes. This new law is similar to the CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) law in the U.S. mainland, which was first implemented in California in 2019 and has now been implemented in at least 23 other states.

In Puerto Rico, hair discrimination is an ongoing problem. During a public hearing held by federal lawmakers, many residents came forward to share stories and experiences of hair discrimination. Sometimes job offers were conditional and could be revoked if the applicant refused to change their hairstyle. Even children were not protected by the law, were subject to bans and were forced to cut their hair in order to attend school. That is why this law is such a huge victory for Afro-descendant families on the island, who have been dealing with this problem for generations.

In employment, this means that employers can no longer refuse to hire or fire employees with black hairstyles, and workplace harassment now includes comments or ridicule about protective hairstyles and textures. In public services, housing, and education, people can no longer be denied access or service because of their hairstyle, can no longer be discriminated against in the housing process, and can no longer be prevented from attending public or private schools. It’s a big step for racial equality in Puerto Rico, and it will be interesting to see how the law is enforced. For now, it’s a celebratory victory.