I never, in a million years, thought I would be writing an article about hair. But I am sooooo tired of hearing story after story, about black woman being sanctioned at work, over having natural hair. From the get-go, let us be honest about the whole hair affair; it isn't about wacky, inappropriate styles being worn at work, the real issue is about the hair type; the afro, which ultimately means, it's a subversive attack on displaying anything deemed culturally black.
The Question
How can natural hair, the hair that grows directly from out of someone's skull, be classified as unprofessional?
How can natural hair, the hair that grows directly from out of someone's skull, be classified as unprofessional?
The Answer
The real issue of natural hair has nothing to do with professionalism or ability. The 'it's not a professional look' excuse, is about erasing as many elements of you, that project an Afro-Caribbean / black heritage. It's about how your presence affects the members of your company and how they believe the companies image will be effected socially, not professionally. If you couldn't do the job, you wouldn't have been hired in the first place and whether you are a truly valued member of the team or just hired to fill in an ethnic quota, diversity for some companies, only goes as far as your skin being black. Every other thing about you, better reflect the status quo.
The real issue of natural hair has nothing to do with professionalism or ability. The 'it's not a professional look' excuse, is about erasing as many elements of you, that project an Afro-Caribbean / black heritage. It's about how your presence affects the members of your company and how they believe the companies image will be effected socially, not professionally. If you couldn't do the job, you wouldn't have been hired in the first place and whether you are a truly valued member of the team or just hired to fill in an ethnic quota, diversity for some companies, only goes as far as your skin being black. Every other thing about you, better reflect the status quo.
What Isn't Being Talked About
At its core, this whole stupid saga is about enforcing institutional snobbery and the bridge to get there is through a disguised racism. Firstly, and it's kind of a biggie - is that amongst some companies, there is a seemingly blatant disregard for the actual existence of other civilisations and cultures. And as wholly ridiculous as this is, companies are telling black women, that they should alter what is naturally occurring, in order to look more like the white majority. That's the crux of the contention right? That if black employees have the cosmetic characteristics of a European, then their look is 'professional'. But I say, if you can't even acknowledge that people from around the world have physical differences, then you are not fit to engage with human beings, until you have completed some sort of orientation: Earth - The Planet Of Many Peoples by D'Lambert Attenborough. This is why some companies don't do diversity, because it means having to actually learn and acknowledge differences, which leads to watching what you say and do. Recently, I read an article (the article that sparked me to write this) that stated that one employer thought that a particular black female employee's hair was unkempt...but then I saw the picture of her and I was like 'Err...am I missing something?' It's sad to say, but the problem here is not unusual, there are many people (in and away from a working place context) who don't know diddly squat about afro hair and what I mean by this (and I've personally experienced this, even as man) is that a person who doesn't have any experience with afro hair, can't see the difference between one style to the next. They can't see whether a hair style is messy, well kept or anything in between. They think a weave is real hair and if you were rocking a level 2 afro one week and came into work the next, with a weave coming down to your lower back, they would think your hair grew really fast! There are too many people who don't know our hair, yet try to police it. Even throughout my early life, I've had the ignorance of what my hair is capable of being and doing, confirmed by the stupid-ass comments and questions surrounding it. And I'm a man, so imagine the foolishness that black women are going through!
At its core, this whole stupid saga is about enforcing institutional snobbery and the bridge to get there is through a disguised racism. Firstly, and it's kind of a biggie - is that amongst some companies, there is a seemingly blatant disregard for the actual existence of other civilisations and cultures. And as wholly ridiculous as this is, companies are telling black women, that they should alter what is naturally occurring, in order to look more like the white majority. That's the crux of the contention right? That if black employees have the cosmetic characteristics of a European, then their look is 'professional'. But I say, if you can't even acknowledge that people from around the world have physical differences, then you are not fit to engage with human beings, until you have completed some sort of orientation: Earth - The Planet Of Many Peoples by D'Lambert Attenborough. This is why some companies don't do diversity, because it means having to actually learn and acknowledge differences, which leads to watching what you say and do. Recently, I read an article (the article that sparked me to write this) that stated that one employer thought that a particular black female employee's hair was unkempt...but then I saw the picture of her and I was like 'Err...am I missing something?' It's sad to say, but the problem here is not unusual, there are many people (in and away from a working place context) who don't know diddly squat about afro hair and what I mean by this (and I've personally experienced this, even as man) is that a person who doesn't have any experience with afro hair, can't see the difference between one style to the next. They can't see whether a hair style is messy, well kept or anything in between. They think a weave is real hair and if you were rocking a level 2 afro one week and came into work the next, with a weave coming down to your lower back, they would think your hair grew really fast! There are too many people who don't know our hair, yet try to police it. Even throughout my early life, I've had the ignorance of what my hair is capable of being and doing, confirmed by the stupid-ass comments and questions surrounding it. And I'm a man, so imagine the foolishness that black women are going through!
"The bombardment of messages, that makes a minority feel like there is something wrong them, shouldn't be coming from a company."
| Professionalism Defined So what does professional really mean? Well, all companies try to codify your existence at work, it's expected for a firm to have rules and regulations on your conduct, uniform and the image you project. But if a company views the differences in your human physicality as embarrassing or unprofessional, then what exactly the hell are you supposed to do? I'd like to remind HR departments around the world, that one core value of a racist supremacist agenda, is to re-programme those who are not like them, to either assimilate or hate themselves. The bombardment of messages, that makes a minority feel like there is something wrong them, shouldn't be coming from any company, unless they are deliberately looking for a lawsuit. But a company that doesn't even acknowledge the differences in the peoples of Earth, is a company that supports this message and is another willing member that feeds into this centuries old oppression. The same type of oppression that has made people think that to be successful in life, they need to have straight hair, be skinny or be as fair skinned as possible. |  Note The Differences: The hair on the left is equal in length all over, well groomed, no hair spray has been applied to forcibly hold it up, it is not dyed and in relation to the models face, the composition makes sense. The hair on the right, though it is the opposite in aim, looks very cool too...but I wouldn't expect Kelly to be wearing that style whilst say working in a law firm. Where as the left picture is suitable for work, we have to recognise, that to some eyes, there is no difference! |
"...why should an employer have the power, to make an employee forsake their own cultural, physical identity, that comes of their genotype. This is a bonkers request...".
People in countries like Jamaica, India, China and certain countries in Africa, who all received significant, historical 'visitations' to no surprise are still skin bleaching, straightening their hair or wearing hair pieces/wigs/weaves with straight hair. Simultaneously, some of their diaspora element have carried those values to the new places in which they have landed, whilst additionally being in direct contact with the ideology makers. Now, disclaimer time - when it comes to hairstyles, I am not a stickler for what anyone should do, I think we should all celebrate the diversity of the hairstyles we could all have. But when a black woman thinks she is supposed to have straight hair, with no option/desire to display her natural hair, then we have a problem. Which majority black owned/run company, has ever told a white woman that her hair type is unprofessional and she needs to get an afro? None! Unfortunately, some of these notions are also being pushed by people of a similar cultural background too. They enforce the same nonsense as well as pushing children and grandchildren to marry white or light because the brainwashing worked generationally. In fact it worked so well, that children as young as 4 are having their hair relaxed, by parents who have drunk and bathed in the koolade. The overall ideology remains the same; an afro makes you bush, savage or unsophisticated.
Look! We all know, that there are codes and practices for the work place, nobody is campaigning for separate treatment, but we are talking about the vilification of a natural, biological function of the body. Imagine if you went to work one day and your boss pulled you aside and said "Hey Bill, your eye colour is unprofessional". You'd be like huh? Because Yes! People, this is the level of dumbness we are currently operating at. "Hey Bill, we need you to wear contact lenses, so that your eye colour is brown, instead of blue". Personally, I don't know anyone that can manipulate their genotype to change the function of their hair type, eye colour or height - do you? So why should an employer have the power, to make an employee forsake their own cultural, physical identity, that comes of their genotype? This is a bonkers request, for the fake excuse of professionalism. Unfortunately, the foundations, the cornerstone and more complicated parts of this particular racist, social structure, were built and put in place eons ago and so some of the people working the system, do so without even knowing. They will also be the ones reading this article not understanding what the hell I'm talking about. So all I ask is this; imagine if it were you. We're asking you to change a natural characteristic of your physicality, connected to your cultural heritage, an element of you that bares no effect on your ability to do your job.
The Incident That Shows That This Type Of Oppression Starts From Childhood
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SUPREMACY
You have lots of choice...the illusion of choice, the choice that leads to
selecting 'us' rather than you. You are not allowed to choose yourself,
in fact, that option won't even exist, less we adopt your
style and make out, that we invented it.
Then that is a ok.
You have lots of choice...the illusion of choice, the choice that leads to
selecting 'us' rather than you. You are not allowed to choose yourself,
in fact, that option won't even exist, less we adopt your
style and make out, that we invented it.
Then that is a ok.
Photo Chris Buck "Let's Talk About Race'. How Do You Feel About Your Inclusion In The World. Are You Represented?
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