Source:
VW
Pics
/
Getty
Puerto
Rico
is
looking
to
better
support
citizens
with
natural
hair.
Officials
are
looking
to
pass
a
bill
to
end
discrimination
against
popular
Black
hairstyles.
As
spotted
on Blavity the
Island
of
Enchantment
is
apparently
facing
some
serious
issues
regarding
hair
texture.
In
January
Sen.
Ana
Irma
Rivera
Lassén
and
Sen.
Rafael
Bernabe
proposed
a
bill
that
would
protect
Puerto
Ricans
who
wear
natural
hairstyles
from
discrimination
relating
to
employment,
housing
and
education.
The
filing
includes
“tight
coils
or
curls,
locs,
bonded
braids,
twists,
braids,
Bantu
knots,
and
afros”
as
applicable
styles
protected
under
the
bill.
On
Jan.
23
the
two
officials
heard
testimony
from
several
citizens
who
claimed
they
suffered
economically
due
to
their
hair.
“I’m
23
years
old,
and
I’m
tired
of
this
problem,”
said
Julia
Llanos
Bultrón,
an
educator
who
has
cornrows.
“I’m
very
disappointed
with
a
system
that
pushes
us
to
change
the
hair
with
which
we’re
born.”
Mother
Lorraine
León
Ramírez
tells
NBC
News
that
her
youngest
son,
who
wears
an
afro,
that
he
was
banned
from
two
schools
until
he
cut
his
hair.
“It
was
one
of
the
worst
experiences
we’ve
had
as
a
family,”
she
added.
While
the
bill
has
received
support
from
students,
activists
and
more
others
question
why
hair
needs
explicit
protection.
The
2020
Census
reports
that
over
three
million
people
live
in
Puerto
Rico
many
of
them
who
are
of
African
descent.
