Women of Color and Hair Bias in the Work Environment

Professional women of color identify with various natural, Black hairstyles including braids, dread locs, twists, and other natural coiled styles. Black women who work in professional settings have historically encountered negative stares, remarks, and biases. They tend to be stereotyped on their level of professionalism and competency if they choose not to conform to mainstream hairstyles. Women wearing Black hairstyles are often perceived as less beautiful and less professional than those who wear Eurocentric hairstyles. Professional Black women are often challenged in these situations where they must decide how to manage their identity in the work environment. Too often, professional Black women apply and interview for positions where their natural hairstyle becomes the topic of interest. If given the opportunity for employment, subtle references may be made about their hairstyles, which suggests such hairstyles are not in alignment with the professional climate of an organization. This type of pressure makes Black women feel forced to conform to Eurocentric hairstyles. These expectations lead to feelings of social inadequacy, hurt, and discouragement of individuals in their workplace. The apprehensions with hair acceptance are even more concerning, when considering that the notion of straight groomed hair has been largely expected not only by Whites, but also by many people of color as well. Women of Color and Hair Bias in the Work Environment explores the experiences of professional women of color who have had encountered feelings of uncertainty, self-consciousness, or differing treatment, and/or discrimination because of their natural hairstyle choices. The intent is to shine a light on the challenges professional women of color face and how these experiences impact their hiring and/or work environment. Covering topics such as hairstyle empowerment, ethics of hair bias, and diversity of hair, this book serves as an invaluable resource for educators, social workers, psychologists, organizational leadership, business professionals, and more. This book also allows women to be encouraged by stories of professional women who have overcome the societal burdens placed on natural hair.