Black Women Worry That Their Natural Hair Could Affect Job Employment Or Retention

When I worked in corporate America I was afraid to wear my natural hair to work. I mentioned this a few times on various posts. While interviewing I feared my kinky curls would overshadow my talents and I would not get a job based on my hair style. While working I was afraid to wear my natural hair for fear of having a fake case made against me and fired for my hair style but told the problem was really my work.

The article below written by Julee Wilson recently ran in The Huffington Post. I think it’s very sad we are still facing these racial issues regarding hair we were born with. I was hoping, because more black women are wearing their natural hair, things would have changed in the workplace, but I guess I was wrong.

Let me know how you feel, or your experiences, regarding wearing natural hair in corporate America?

Is the texture or style of your hair preventing you from being hired? Sounds like a pretty silly question, however it was precisely the topic at hand during a panel discussion entitled “Black Women, Their Hair & The Work Place – A Dialogue” at Georgia State University.

Approximately 100 women gathered last week to contemplate the idea that their skills, talent and intelligence could be overshadowed by a hairstyle. And more often than not, the concern is based on women of color sporting their natural hair.

Yes, the hair that grows naturally from the roots of our heads could be contributing to the growing unemployment rates. Baffling.

Men are not immune to this hairy situation either. Last Summer, Hampton University issued a ban on cornrows and dreadlocks for male business students.

“You’re talking about being polished and (having) interview skills and yet no one is addressing the fact that natural black hair has been traditionally seen as not polished on its own whether it’s well cared for or not,” James “Jay” Bailey, chief executive officer of Operation HOPE and a panelist at the event, told SaportaReport. “So basically it’s all about maintaining the Eurocentric standpoint.”

This stance sadly echoes the stereotypes that we’ve fought against, and the personal freedoms we’ve strived to gain for so long. In fact, they’re fighting words.

Case in point, take the firestorm that ensued a few years ago when a white Glamour magazine editor told a group of women at a New York law firm that afros were a “no-no”, and that a “political” hairstyle like dreadlocks was inappropriate for the workplace. Black women were outraged and the comments got the editor six weeks on probation and ultimately resulted in her resignation.

Or when controversy stirred after meteorologist Rhonda Lee was fired from her post at Louisiana’s KTBS news channel after defending her right to rock her short natural hairstyle via the television station’s Facebook page.

As more and more women have decided to embrace their natural hair, we hope that potential employers’ prejudice regarding our hair’s kinks and curls will subside. It would be a shame to see women celebrating their curls personally and having to downplay them professionally.

Click HERE for The Huffington Post piece.

Meteorologist, Rhonda Lee, Fired For Responding to Comments About Her Natural Hair!

What can I say about this situation? I am appalled!  Extremely upset and can’t wait to start my real estate career sporting my natural hair! Real Estate may be different from corporate America but people who don’t like African hair are all over.

Check out the full story on Rhonda Lee below.

Father Votes for Son and Now Under Investigation!

Why are the Republicans always cheating! This is crazy!! I just don’t know what to say.

Father investigated after voting for son

Posted at: 11/06/2012 5:00 PM | Updated at: 11/06/2012 6:24 PM
By: Gadi Schwartz and Peter St. Cyr, KOB Eyewitness News

A 4 On Your Side investigation shows an Albuquerque man casting two different ballots by posing as his 18-year-old son during early voting.

Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies have confirmed they are also investigating the man.

Election workers originally raised suspicions of voter fraud after the man, who has silver hair, told them he was born in 1994.

“That info was so out of sync with what the poll worker was visually seeing,” Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver told KOB’s 4 On Your Side. “It really did raise that red flag.”

Under state law, voters are not required to show photo identification to cast a ballot. The only requirement is for voters to state their names, address, and date of birth.

But, election workers did not believe the man’s stated birth date.

After he voted, workers followed the suspect, later identified as Thomas Pino, to his vehicle, wrote down his license plate, and called the clerk’s office. She quickly notified Secretary of State Diane Duran.

Together, they learned that Pino was likely posing as his son. Both men are registered to the same address. Both are listed as Republicans.

A few days later, Pino turned up at a different location to vote for himself.

Pino did not realize his record had already been flagged, and he was given a provisional ballot.

After he voted at Daskalos Shopping Center, 4OYS paid him a visit at his home.

At first, he denied using his son’s name and birth date to vote.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Pino said.

He claimed his son his son had voted Monday or Tuesday last week and then returned to school in Las Cruces.

Moments after telling that story, 4OYS’s team watched as Pino’s son arrived home from New Mexico State University for a weekend visit.

“I literally just drove into town a few minutes ago,” Aaron Pino said. “I’ve been in Las Cruces at school.”

After pulling to the curb, Pino denied casting his vote in Albuquerque.

Driving back to the newsroom, Thomas Pino called to talk to Reporter Gadi Schwartz.

He said he had made a big mistake and claimed his son agreed to let him vote for him.

Pino could face serious charges, including false voting, fraudulent and double voting and falsifying election documents–all fourth degree felonies.

For now, Clerk Toulouse Oliver said she is pleased her poll workers took action immediately.

“This is exactly how we can prevent voter fraud from occurring,” Toulouse Oliver said.

Story Source Documents

A Pino Voter Registration

1 document

Long Hair? It’ll Happen One Day.

Even though my hair has not grown much since I’ve been in New Mexico, I am still on a mission to maintain its health – of course – and achieve as much length as possible.

I don’t believe the length I have now is the longest it is going to get – despite age and having neck/collar-bone length hair all of my life – I feel confident I can make it longer with patience and moisture and moisture and patience.

I already started a new hair care regime but there has been a slight change to my routine. I now take one capsule of Solaray’s Hair Nutrients twice a day with food! I am currently on my second bottle.

Have I noticed any growth? No. But my husband and mother said my hair has gotten longer. I can’t really tell.

However, I have noticed that the health of my hair has improved. The texture feels slightly stronger and my tresses possess a little more of a natural shine. Nothing major.

I normally wear my hair in two strand twists or some sort of protective style. Maintaining moisture is key in New Mexico. If I wear my hair in an afro for several consecutive days, it becomes dry and pieces start to crumble to the floor. Honestly, when that happens, because it is still new to me, I become very confused.

What Happened to My Hair?!

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I have thin hair, and according to the experts, it will stay like this because this is the way my hair is.

Now, when people see my hair in an afro, (it always photographs a little flatter/smaller than it is) they get the impression that my hair is very thick when in truth, it is not, actually, it has never been. My stresses may appear to look thick because it is tightly curled – maybe it’s a 4a or something like that – but that’s deceiving.

I tried to thicken it up by making and using potions and products specifically for that development but nothing ever happened. I wonder – how come the texture of my hair changed when I got a perm at 11-years-old, but I cannot make it more fuller and lushes than it is at this moment? What’s up with that?

In the pictures I had just blew my hair dry. It wasn’t too intense. I just wanted to dry and stretch it a little after taking a shower.

I am thankful that I have a head of healthy hair, but like I said, my dream of growing long and thick hair will just not happen. It’s going to stay just like this for years to come.

Oh well. I’ll take it. Do I have a choice? Many other things could be wrong. As my cousin Sandy would say – “Be thankful for the hair you have.”

Straightening Comb

I remember those dreadful days. While getting my hair pressed my face did not look as calm as this little girl’s.

http://www.tsddesign.com/Art_Sale/Comb.html

Racist Comment on Permed to Natural

Hey Guys,

Some weirdo wrote the below comment in reference to my feature story titled, “Black Owned Beauty Supply Store Reveals the Struggles to Stay in Business.” Click HERE to read it.

The user information on my blog reads: KKK, fuckinlazyporchmonkeys, fuckyallnigs@gmail.com and the computer IP address is 71.224.16.169.

I am going to contact the authorities. This nonsense should be legally documented because who knows what else might happen. But - will the authorities be able to do something about this? Is the comment illegal? What can be done? What else should I do?

I need some advice.

The Comment:

you know what black people are good at doing? blaming others, get the fuck off your backs and asses and do something. And no, i don’t mean go try and kill and steal, i’m talking about hard fuckin work.

Budget Van Lines and 5 Star Relocation – The Worst Moving Companies EVER!

I moved a couple of weeks ago but I have to blog about the worst moving company on earth to inform the world about how wack they are in hopes to encourage folks not to use them.

BUDGET VAN LINES along with 5 STAR RELOCATION are unprofessional and horrible to work with. DO NOT EVER USE THEM!!!

I found BUDGET VAN LINES online as a company that specialized in East coast West coast relocation. I spoke to sales representative, Alan Katz. His telephone number is 800-611-6001 ext. 7753. His email address is alan.k@budgetvanlines.com.

In the beginning Alan was very professional. He answered the telephone every time I called and when needed, followed up with an email. So with that, I felt comfortable and confident that I had selected the right moving company. I checked out BUDGET VAN LINES on BBB and found a few complaints but thought a few complaints was normal due to working with so many personalities. Later when everything blew up I found on Google a looong list of people who complained about the company. Many had experienced the same thing I am going to tell you about.

A few days before my move Alan called to let me know that 5 STAR RELOCATION, an affiliate BUDGET VAN LINES works with, was going to call to confirm my job. That was Thursday. My move was scheduled for Monday. Friday came and went. No call. On Saturday I called Alan and told him I had not heard from anyone. Alan said he would follow up. Sunday came and went. No call. Monday morning I left a voicemail for Alan because he didn’t answer his telephone. That was the first time that had happened. I started to worry. I called around pressing various extensions, leaving messages everywhere, trying to get someone on the telephone to find out if the movers were on their way. Three hours later a sales rep answered the telephone and it wasn’t Alan. I told him everything in a panic He confirmed my move and gave me the telephone number to 5 STAR RELOCATION. I called right away but could not get anyone on the telephone until 30 minutes later. David finally picked up the line and confirmed my move for that day and said the movers were still coming. He took my information to give to the dispatcher, Alex. Two hours later I called back (no one called me) and Alex answered and told me that he had the move scheduled for Tuesday instead of Monday. LIAR! I told Alex, David already confirmed my move for that day. He responded, in a blasé blasé tone, “I have it scheduled for tomorrow.” Before I knew it – I cursed him out. Then called my bank and disputed the deposits I paid to BUDGET VAN LINES.

Completely stressed out, I spent several hours calling around trying to find a new moving company that could move my stuff that evening because I had a flight booked to leave New York for New Mexico the next morning at 6:00am! With a recommendation from U-Haul I found a company that agreed to move me the next morning. I accepted it. I had no choice. Then I had to change my flight schedule. I managed to get something that left the same day in the afternoon. More stress and money!

After an hour of me calling my bank to dispute the fee I paid to BUDGET VAN LINES, someone from the company finally returned my calls – but it wasn’t Alan. I was so pissed I don’t remember what they said because I wasn’t trying to hear them.

The moving company I was able to get only moved people locally. So I had to have them transfer my stuff to a storage unit at U-Haul. Stress, stress and more stress.

Overall, the move went well and I was able to make my plane in a knick of time. The rest of my stuff will be here in August when I move into my new place. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly.

However, I spent thousands of extra dollars that was not part of the plan to make everything happen. I am wondering if I have a law suit against sorry-ass BUDGET VAN LINES and 5 STAR RELOCATION.

What do you think?

My Hair is Dry!!

My Goodness!!!

I haven’t been in New Mexico a solid two weeks and already my hair has dried up like burnt ash. I guess traveling from New York to New Mexico and then from New Mexico to Georgia and back to New Mexico within seven days was a lot for my hair to handle.

However, while in Georgia my hair felt soft. When I arrived back to New Mexico my hair felt dry and crunchy-like. 

I also have been outside (in the sun) then inside (in air conditioning) then back outside and inside again. Perhaps my hair is going through some sort of culture shock due to all of the sudden changes. 

People in New Mexico said it is the dry air that is sucking all of the moisture out of my hair. I was told that I will have to double up on everything to keep a little moisture in my curls such as deep conditioning twice a week instead of once a week, doubling up on the amount of products I use for moisture, wetting my hair every day and sealing it in plus administering more co-washes.

I am already using good-goobs of products every night, more than I have ever used before, but so far nothing has helped. My hair feels dry and hard as if I didn’t use anything at all.

The products I am currently using are by Wonder Curl. I purchased them at the Natural’s Night Out event in New York City.

I saturate, I mean sat-tu-rate my hair every evening, with Wonder Curl’s Butter Than Love Hair Whipped, Get Slick Hair Smoothie and sometimes Get Set Hair Gel. I lock-in everything with coconut oil or Shea Moisture’s Reconstructive Elixir with sea kelp, argon oil and shea butter for dry, damaged hair. 

I don’t know if I should review Wonder Curl’s products or the Reconstructive Elixir. If I do, based on what I am experiencing in New Mexico, on a scale of 1 to 5 curls, I will have to give all of the products 1/2 curl because they are just not working for me. After using the Elixir my hair is oily but their is no moisture. After using the coconut oil I get the same results, so…

But, while in Atlanta over the July 4th holiday, my hair felt a little softer but I was not really satisfied with its texture.

So in Georgia, I’ll give Wonder Curl and Shea Moisture’s Reconstructive Elixir – 2 curls.

Any suggestions on how I can maintain moisture in my hair??

I Gotta Crush!

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