Senators advance hairstyle bill, counseling licensure board

Although the Virgin Islands has a majority Afro-Caribbean population, discrimination based on hairstyles still happens, and Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger wants to change that.

Heyliger has sponsored the Virgin Islands Crown Act to prevent employers and schools from discriminating against a person based on the texture of their hair.

The bill has been favorably approved by the Rules and Judiciary Committee and now moves on to the full body for consideration.

“I’m simply asking that my colleagues really look at this as a way to make sure that even if one person in our society is being discriminated against, we don’t let it happen,” Heyliger said.

Sens. Milton Potter and Steven Payne Sr. both recounted a time when individuals were not allowed to enter the British Virgin Islands based on the texture of their hair.

The 1980 order banning individuals with dreadlocks and “hippie” hairstyles from entering the British territory was not formally repealed until 2003, according to a report from the BVI Beacon.

The proposed U.S. Virgin Islands legislation would not have any impact on any British Virgin Islands rules or regulations.

Sen. Carla Joseph did not support the bill, noting that key testifiers such as the Justice and Education departments were not present to vet the bill in the Education Committee hearing.

In response, Heyliger said the Education Department was invited to testify on the bill, but a representative could not attend the hearing.

Licensure bill:

Also Thursday, a bill which aims to update licensure requirements for professional counseling, was also advanced by the committee.