For African Americans, the way we choose to wear our hair in professional settings has lead to unfair discrimination, humiliation, and conformity. This year’s Black History Month marked six years since I began my loc journey that I blogged about here. Discrimination against black hair in the workplace is an ongoing Civil Rights issue that will only be mitigated though education and commitment to bravery through self-expression within the black community.
Here are my tips on bringing your full self to work: Hair edition
- Be educated. The only way to eradicate this injustice will be through education and exposure. Having the ability to articulate why hair discrimination is wrong and racist is the first step in holding ignorant and uneducated coworkers accountable. Consciousness and awareness is the path forward.
- Handle all negativity with grace & poise. When I first started my locs, a Caucasian woman at my job openly commented on my hair to a fellow black coworker. “What did Camille do to her hair? It looks like she did it herself!” Upon hearing this I wanted to immediately storm over to her desk and strike back. In short, I didn’t. Don’t give any of your energy to stupidity. Let your frustrations fuel your elevation.
- Back your activism with excellence. I’m sorry, but there’s no way you can be an activist while having a subpar work ethic and reputation. No one is listening to the person advocating for truth but struggling with their own workload. For your message to be received, your coworkers need to respect you. If they don’t, no matter how true your message is, it will fall on deaf ears. Your coworkers will naturally be more receptive to your message if they respect your work product and ethic.