Virgin Islands Senator Appears on FOX Soul’s Black Report

Senator Alma Francis Heyliger recently appeared on FOX Soul to discuss the importance of of the Virgin Islands CROWN Act’s passage, which legally prevents employers and educators from discriminating against natural black hairstyles and continues to build momentum on a national level.

The Governor of the Virgin Islands signed the CROWN Act into law on April 11. Sixteen other states outside the USVI, thus far, have established their own version of the law and a federal bill awaits action in the Senate. In addition, major champions of the CROWN Act, which consists of a coalition formed by Dove, The National Urban League, the Western Center on Law & Poverty and Color of Change, will celebrate National Crown Day on July 3rd.

During the interview on FOX Soul’s flagship news program, The Black Report, host Mimi Brown kicked off the conversation with Sen. Francis Heyliger by asking why the CROWN Act seemed so necessary in a population that is mostly black.

“People don't recognize that as much as we are the larger part of the population when it comes to race, when it comes to socio economic development, a lot of the businesses are owned by non-blacks,” said Sen. Francis Heyliger, who noted that most of the major pushback came from her colleagues in the Senate, where she initially faced similar questions.

“Well, to be honest, the bulk of the pushback actually came from my colleagues,” said Sen. Francis Heyliger with regards to the initial reception. “We've had some very heated discussions on the Senate floor, because when I was sworn in January of 2021, one of my first pieces of legislation that I did submit was the CROWN Act. And having these conversations, you know, the question became: ‘well, do we really have an issue here?’ But I've had to explain and fight.”

Despite the initial pushback against the CROWN Act locally, Sen. Francis Heyliger’s passionate defense of the law, buttressed by multiple, disheartening accounts of egregious discrimination due to policies surrounding black hairstyles, the measure ultimately garnered support from her colleagues passed unanimously in the Senate.

Following its passage and subsequent execution into the Virgin Islands law books, Sen. Francis Heyliger said her office was inundated with expressions of gratitude for her work on the bill.

“Sometimes you don't realize a problem exists,” said Sen. Francis Heyliger. “But that young man that went to work every day where his boss was harassing him, and telling him he needs to cut off his locks, he no longer has to worry about that because that's who he is.”

To which, the segment’s host, Mimi Brown, noted:

“I think hair discrimination has affected almost every black woman I know and I'd love to hear how it has personally affected you in your life,” said Brown.

With a characteristic no-nonsense response, Sen. Francis Heyliger said:

“I can't say that I allow any type of discrimination to happen to me,” she said. “I've never been one to subscribe to bullying of any sort even as a child and as an adult.” Nor does Sen. Francis Heyliger seem primed to standby while she witnesses the bullying of others.

“If these are the types of laws that I have to bring forward, so people can say: You know what? You are who you are. You should be proud of who you are. And no amount of hair texture should be utilized against you for your own educational advancement, for your work advancement, just to even live in your society.”

With regards to the passage on a national level, Sen. Francis Heyliger cautiously approached as the bill awaits consideration from the United States Senate.

“I'm keeping my fingers crossed,” said Sen. Francis Heyliger. “The best we can do is really trying to contact your senators and tell them how important this piece of legislation is, and how it does impact the lives of Afro Caribbean Afro American individuals on a larger scale. I think a lot of times people don't know the impact.”