+34
The 74-year-old was finally honored with an honorary high school diploma, over five decades after being expelled from a Denver high school for his long hair.
74-year-old musician Otis Taylor receives high school diploma decades after being expelled for hair Otis Taylor was finally honored with an honorary high school diploma, over five decades after being expelled from a Denver high school for his long hair.
The year was 1966 – decades before laws were enforced banning racial hair discrimination – when musician Otis Taylor was expelled from a Denver high school because of the length of his hair. "I heard rumors that some kids were getting kicked out of school for long hair," Taylor, a notable Trance Blues artist, told FOX Television Stations. "I was a little different, but I wasn't a troublemaker, you know. I was just to myself." Just a few months before graduating from Manual High School, Taylor said they gave him an ultimatum – cut his hair or leave. "Well, bye," Taylor recalled of that day, adding, "I’m going to go to Sunset Strip – be a rock star." The newly enacted CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, is a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination in schools and workplaces. It is currently a law in 20 states including Colorado. Taylor, 74, said the school wanted to right a wrong, choosing to give the musician an honorary diploma more than 50 years after being expelled."They handed me a diploma and I shook hands, and that kind of stuff," Taylor continued, calling the experience surreal and even weird. But despite not receiving a diploma in 1966, Taylor said it didn’t stop him from learning and having a career. Otis Taylor receives honorary high school diploma decades after being expelled from his high school in Denver, Colorado. The award-winning musician recently released his 15th album titled "Banjo…" which was recorded in Boulder. His music has also been featured in several movies and television shows including "Public Enemies" directed by Michael Mann, "Shooter" and FX’s "Justified."
Scratch the next story
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Denver organization focusing on preventing youth violence this summerData from law enforcement agencies across the nation shows crime tends to rise during the months of June, July and August with school out, but a Denver organization is working to prevent that from happening this summer
Read more »
Apple Blossom | The 100 Best Denver Restaurants We Can't Live Without | WestwordApple Blossom debuted inside the Hyatt Centric Downtown Denver in October 2021, giving siblings Paul and Aileen Reilly a chance to continue the legacy of their now-closed farm-to-table hit, Beast + Bottle. At Apple Blossom, the menu ranges from comfort-food...
Read more »
LCD Soundsystem, Lord Huron and the Best Concerts in Denver This WeekDon't forget: City Park Jazz begins on Sunday!
Read more »
Who is the military hero Denver’s Rose Medical Center is named for?“I thought, like many other people, that Rose Hospital was named after a flower. It was crazy, nobody knew who he was, and we should change that.” Here's the story of the military hero Denver's Rose Medical Center is named for.
Read more »
Denver Nuggets perfect the drama-free path to their spot on NBA's big stageThe Nuggets' no-drama way of doing business, both on and off the court, doesn't grab tons of headlines. But it has set the franchise up for success and brought it to its first NBA Finals in 47 years in the league.
Read more »