Hairy situations

June 28, 2010 No Comments

In corporate America, afros, dreadlocks and other styles still raise eyebrows (DROP)

by Angela Lindsay Hilst

A Caucasian former associate editor at Glamour magazine infamously ignited a firestorm of controversy when she told a roomful of female attorneys during a “Dos and Don’ts of Corporate Dress” presentation that afros are a real “no-no,” and said about dreadlocks, “How truly dreadful!” She went on to say, “It was shocking that some people still think it appropriate to wear those hairstyles at the office. No offense . . . but those political hairstyles really have to go.” No, this didn’t happen in the 1960s. The year was 2007. Despite the progress African Americans have made in the corporate arena, ethnic hairstyles may be the final hurdle when it comes to full acceptance in the workplace.

Straight talk from female peers

It took getting stuck in London for three weeks on business for Atlanta native Angela Morris to go natural. She was in dire need of a relaxer but was unable to have the service performed. After returning to Minnesota, where she was living, she cut her hair and wore it natural for about six years with no resistance from her employer. That changed when she moved to Atlanta but found herself unemployed after 9-11. That was when she hit a wall.

“I had a very difficult time interviewing and getting selected,” she recalls. “I had never had that issue beforehand, and that was the first time I have been in the market unemployed and trying to find a job with natural hair.”

Morris says it wasn’t until she wore a wig to an interview that she was finally hired. Admittedly, she permed her hair again after getting the position. The company eventually moved her to Charlotte and, after a year and a half, she slowly started growing it out naturally, a move she was “encouraged” to change by, ironically, an African American female superior.

“No one I worked with told me, ‘You need to perm your hair,’ but what I heard from our senior executive African American women there who were leaders (was), ‘You don’t look professional. If you want to succeed, you may want to consider doing this.’ Just those kind of comments . . . They basically made it very clear that this is about as far as you can go . . . ” Morris says.

She adds that she began to feel that if she didn’t change her hair, she would not advance.

So she changed it. Her environment, that is.

‘How you perform versus how you look’

Six years ago, Morris began her current role as a diversity and inclusion client manager with a major financial institution. She says colleagues accept the natural “two-strand twists” she now wears.

“I pretty much knew that this was the place where I would be able to thrive and grow professionally,” she says, explaining that her new supervisor also wore a short afro.

She has not received negative feedback from co-workers; instead, she receives “more compliments than anything.”

“I think (Angela’s hair) is very attractive and striking,” says colleague Claire McElwee, a diversity and inclusion program executive. “(The) first time I saw Angela, I thought her hair represented confidence and style. She’s so polished and pulled together! And her hair reflects that.”

McElwee recalls a time when a group of their work teammates were discussing the challenges of styling African American hair for a corporate environment.

“As a white female, this is pretty foreign to me, although I certainly understand bad hair days!” she shares. “But the dilemma, challenges and attitudes that they were sharing were really an eye opener for me.”

Morris does recall one negative incident involving an executive who made inappropriate comments to an employee about her hair, but he was eventually phased out of the company.

“To me, it just kind of validates that the bank is all about who you are, what you bring to the table, how you perform versus how you look.”

“I do think that it’s becoming much more acceptable to be yourself in the workplace,” McElwee adds. “I think many more hairstyles are now acceptable, as long as one is professional and can get the job done.”

Proper hair care is key

No matter the hairstyle, it is essential to maintain a professional appearance. Getting properly educated and retaining a hairstylist knowledgeable in natural hair care are some of the ways people can ensure that their styles remain appropriate for the workplace.

“I think it’s just a matter of being true to yourself and also realizing though that with that — with a natural — you also have to maintain a level of professionalism,” Morris states. “For example, if you’re going to have natural hair, keep it neat!”

LaTika Fene’ Harris, a hairstylist specializing in natural hair, suggests finding the right hair products to manage natural and transitioning hair, which is “hair that has natural new growth area with relaxed, chemically treated ends,” she explains.

“There is a myth that by going natural, you will save money by not visiting a salon. This is opposite from the truth,” she says. “Natural hair care requires regular salon visits in order to keep the hair and scalp healthy and maintained.”

Harris has seen many clients who come in for an initial consultation and one of the most popular concerns is searching for a style that is “not too drastic for the workplace.” Likewise, Morris is very conscious of her hairstyle.

“Don’t get me wrong. Just because it is accepted doesn’t give me the green light for me to do anything I want!” she says.

Nappily ever after

“I think it’s just being more accepting that we are a global nation, and that we all don’t have to look alike, talk alike, dress alike, walk alike,” Morris feels. “Ultimately, be true to yourself.  Find the company that will allow you to flourish by the merits of your work and not define you by your hair.”

That’s good news for Morris, who does not plan to perm her hair again. 

“As far as what I think it will take for companies (to be more inclusive), I actually think that we’ve move beyond that, to be honest with you,” she says.

Harris agrees. “As the years pass and natural hair is proven not to be just a trend but a way of life, my hope is that it will become more understood and accepted.”

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