Nothing gets my anxiety going more than an upcoming vacation when I have to decide the protective style I will be wearing and how my white coworkers will feel about it.
Just in 2019, states and cities have outlawed discrimination based on natural hairstyles associated with race, and we still have a long way to go. Ok, great there are laws put in place for discriminating against natural hairstyles, that still won’t stop Susan from Accounting to look at you sideways when you decide to come in to work with box braids, or Josh from Sales to want to touch your curly fro, braids, or anything besides straightened hair.
I was always told that in order to be taken seriously in corporate spaces, I would either have to straighten my hair, wear a weave but only one that mimicked a European texture, or always wear my curly hair in a bun. Even as a part of an interview process I dare not wear my hair curly because it can be a distraction or look unprofessional.
The post is going to broken up into two parts: One will be directed towards the non-POC, and ways that they can not come off like complete jackasses, and POCs on how to deal with the “Susan’s” and “Josh’s.”
My Non- POC’s
First off, for you to read my article, you have already made a great stride in trying to not stand in your jackass-ness. If your favorite colleague, Ebony comes in with braids, I know it is so tempting to ask her if that is her real hair. If you are thinking about saying it… Don’t. You know good and damn well she has extensions. No one’s hair grows 6 inches overnight. The best thing to do not say anything but give her a compliment, but if you must insist on engaging in “hair talk” lead by giving a compliment and follow it up with: such as
Do’s
- I really like your hair, it looks like it took a long time. How long did it take?
- Those curls really bring out your (insert facial feature here)
Don’t’s
- Wow! You really went and got a lot of hair.
- How much did that hairstyle cost?
- Is that your real hair?
- Your hair looks so poofy!
- How do you wash your hair in that style?
And if a colleague decides to straighten their hair, you better not fix your mouth to say, “I like your hair better straightened.” That is one of the rudest comments that you can say because you have basically let he/she know that their hairstyle/texture on a basis is something that you are not in favor of.
POC’s
Hey, black and brown people! I know, I know, you have received quite a few stares from your co-workers after you got your box braids. They are trying to find the right thing to say, which 9 times out of ten comes off so wrong. Just know that their intentions were probably good. You may be one of the only black people they interact with. Just be patient and try not to curse someone out over an ignorant comment that Brad made.
Maybe you can just send them to my blog to get them together. 🙂