Two Student organizations show Black students how to embrace their natural hair and be professionally.
Naturalistas and Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Fraternity Inc. hosted an event called 'Black Hair in Corporate America' to show students you don’t have to conform to a certain standard to be professional.
Ja’maya Hawkins, president of Naturalistas and junior, said she wanted to show students different ways to style their natural black hair.
Hawkins said she believes people conform to a European standard because it's seen as more acceptable.
“It’s all about the stereotype to be more white to be more accepted,” Hawkins said
Black hair and professionalism has always been a topic of discussions in many recent incidents
Back in 2016, Pretoria High School for Girls in South Africa got into a standoff with the school’s security guards for refusing to abide by a new policy requiring girls to tame their natural hair.
Another incident in August where a young girl at Christ the King Middle School in Louisiana was asked to leave because of her braided hairstyle was against school’s policy, according to USA Today.
The Naturalistas also used this event to shine light on discrimination like these how to deal with them.
Some tips shared were ask about the dress code or review the handbook. They also showed a PowerPoint of different styles acceptable for a work environment.
“You can be black and still be professionally," Hawkins said.
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