by
Black Girl With Long Hair
It seems absurd, but it’s still a reality that there are serious consequences for some women who choose to wear their hair naturally coily or curly. In an interview with NaturallyCurly, Dominican natural Titiana Lugo shares the professional consequences she faced for embracing her curls;
“Growing up was very difficult for me because I had curly hair. In the Dominican Republic that was consider “bad hair”. If your hair was curly you were not able to fit into society, get a good job or even go to an expensive restaurant without people staring at you. Having curly hair made you feel like you came from another planet. My sisters and I all had to use chemicals on our hair to get rid of our tresses. This was the normal thing to do. We felt like we had to comply, even thought it meant damaging our hair and scalp, not to mention the nasty smell.
Last year, my employer laid me off of my corporate job. On many occasions my managers would give me written notice for coming to work with my hair in its natural texture. I really felt like I was the problem, so I stopped wearing my hair naturally curly. To fit in and keep my managers happy, I straightened my hair before I went to work everyday for more than ten years. I wanted to cut off my hair and just be bald. So, once I left that job, to be honest, I felt free. I could be me and let my hair down naturally, even if that meant having no money. I’m happy, and it feels awesome.”
Insane!
You can read Tatiana’s full NaturallyCurly interview here.
And let’s not forget the naturals who are fighting all over the world to change the beauty standard and promote self-love.
Ladies, what are your thoughts?
13 Responses
Okay, I am just ANNOYED with this constant topic. I feel for the sister who lost her job because of white supremacy but natural hair just means that your hair is more or less in its natural state. It doesn’t mean that you are sporting a dramatic mane. If you know that you work in a conservative setting there are TONS of subdued and conservative styles that you can wear in that space — chignons, buns, french rolls, french braids, low ponytails, etc. Those are all natural styles — they just aren’t bold styles. Again, if you know you have a “conservative” employer (I say this knowing that we live in a white supremacist society) for your own protection choose a natural style that fits your situation. Their behavior does need to change and we do need to push them around their racism but if what is on the line is your job then find a natural style that will work in your workplace.
Tragically, the idea that natural hair is unkempt or unprofessional is still a very real issue for allot of professional kinky and curly haired women. I’m so greatful for forums such as these that keep on reminding us how beautiful and versatile our natural hair is. Keep on educating, informing and validating.
Lol thank God I am in the America. I wish my boss would send me “written proof” that they find my natural hair unprofessional or disgusting. Lol I wont have to work a day in my life again. In this day and age you can’t just legitimately say your hair is not professional.
This woman lives in Delaware.
And? Wilmington and Dover, the only “name” towns in Delaware, have significant black populations. Also, north Delaware is basically just a suburb of Philadelphia (but don’t tell the Delawareans that, LOL).
Ugh. Humanity’s so shallow that I wonder how we manage to continue existing without regularily killing each other off… oh, wait. Well, I suppose it’s a good thing we breed like bunnies. For us, at least.
OMG… many yrs ago — either I wasn’t hired or I was fired from due to my hair style. I didn’t go after them legally simple because no matter, i was able to pay my bills. I’m now retired, but if I was to exp. this in 2015, i would definitely find a nice law firm!!!l
I am so lucky that I came of age in a mostly black progressive big city I went natural in 1966. I loved it and enbraced it, I have waist length locs when a lot of my peers have very little hair. I have to admit that I was to lazy to do all that stuff to my hair.
Sigh…..and still some ignoramuses say tritely “…but it’s just hair”
People fail to realize this struggle. First and at times still is the issue of our skin color. They hated us for our skin tone but since it is no longer socially acceptable to be an out right racist but only a closet racist they attack our hair instead. They use words like it’s “non professional and distracting” to cover up their true dislike for our African appearance. What they really mean is your hair isn’tj white enough.
WOW! I’d be angry if I was fired because of my hair texture.
I don’t think she was fired because of her hair texture. She was fired ostensibly because they found her hair style to be too dramatic/radical for her conservative workplace. They are WRONG period to fire her over her hairstyle but if you have a narrow-minded/conservative/subdued workplace you can’t roll up in there with a dramatic hairstyle. Go conservative with a bun, a low ponytail, a French roll, a French braid, etc.
In other words, assimilate. No thanks. Lashuntrice was right–she was fired to her hair texture. The rhetoric you’ve piled up on top of it is just coded wording for that.