Black natural hair in the workplace is very professional
Natural hair should not be used to deny employment opportunities
Hair is something that defines our identities. It is so important to us that we closely associate it with our confidence and self-esteem. We look in the mirror every day before stepping out, just to make sure our hair looks perfect. We spend a good amount of our hard earned money in maintaining our hair because it’s essential to our image.
But have you ever stopped to wonder why sometimes you can’t rock your natural hair to work? Why you would be considered “unprofessional” because of the natural state of your hair? Why a child can be sent home from school because of their locs or braids? Well, the simple answer to those pertinent questions is, institutional or systemic racism.
In a nutshell, institutional racism is where certain practices and policies are enforced by bodies or institutions in order to disenfranchise particular racial or ethnic groups. Such practices are known to act as barriers in career advancements and in seeking employment opportunities.
Did you know that since 2019, only 6 states in the United States passed laws decriminalizing natural hair? Prior to that wearing your hair in its natural form would be wrong to say the least. Being yourself could…
