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Maria Lloyd: Is Your Hair Keeping You Unemployed? Hampton University’s Business School Thinks So
Hampton University’s Business School Bans Dreadlocks
by Maria Lloyd
As an alum of an HBCU, I am embarrassed by the decision made to ban male students from wearing dreadlocks and cornrows at Hampton University’s School of Business. The school’s dean, Sid Credle, argues that the ban has been effective in helping students land corporate jobs and that they should look the part when searching for employment.
College should be a source of innovation and independent thinking. When colleges, especially historically black colleges, encourage our youth to “look the part” we’re stepping into dangerous territory. We’re telling our youth to not think independently, to not consider creating their own source of income. In other words, we’re encouraging them to conform.
34 Responses to Maria Lloyd: Is Your Hair Keeping You Unemployed? Hampton University’s Business School Thinks So
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lady dee
September 3, 2012 at 9:37 pm
this is ridiculous; as Blacks, we should be aware of the history of our hair and the ridicule and hatred we received, not only from whites, but from our own ppl. we’ve come waaaaay too far for a University Dean to say that in order to attend the business school you must not have Locks or cornrows. that’s some hot mess. how can one feel empowered if they cant even be who they are? any person’s hair that is un-kept and not maintained will have trouble finding any kind of work. there are so many ways one can wear their hair, that it is absolutely appalling that an educational institution would ban the hair styles. and for the record, its not only hip hop stars and rappers that wear this hair style. let us not be ignorant. These hairstyles are historical and represent a long history of ppl that had to wear their hair a certain way to survive (i.e. braiding rice grains into one’s hair to grow fields of rice for runaway slaves). so grow the eff up and start looking into the now. empower ourselves as Black ppl to love ourselves and create the precedent that our ancestors fought for us to have the opportunity to even do, to pursue. Conform my backside!
peace out!
Sharon
August 27, 2012 at 11:03 pm
As a proud Black woman who has worn her hair both ways, your hair is a symbol but it does not change your essence. Unless your features are such that white folks cannot recognize your heritage, white folks still know we are Black. If your point is to show white America that you are “authentically Black”, don’t worry, they usually already know. In some situations white folks may actually listen to you before they see you. In some situations, white folks see you before they hear you. You must decide.
Chester
August 27, 2012 at 4:48 pm
The golden goes like this. He who has the gold makes the rules.
cmr
August 26, 2012 at 8:31 pm
I say a person has to do what they have to do to land a career…what’s wrong with growing them after you land the job? I have a family member with long beautiful dreads that cannot land a job…has a masters degree and cannot get into the corporate world…my suggestion was to cut the dreads and give it a try…she didn’t and is still under employed….she is smart enough to start her own business but needs the funds….sometimes you have to play the game….just my thoughts!!
Donna
August 26, 2012 at 2:05 pm
How about teaching young graduates to do their “own thing”,rather than work for someone? BTW, I’m a Hampton graduate,a natural and self-employed.
RandallMann
August 26, 2012 at 12:43 pm
He who own the gold’ make’s the rules! If you don’t like the rules, start your own business.
carol
August 26, 2012 at 12:30 pm
Hey, if you want to get into the corporate world, get used to conforming. All the people in there have to adhere to a dress code that includes personal grooming and makeup as well as clothes. If you can’t conform, you will not survive, much less thrive, in the corporate world. Follow Melissa Perry into the less well-paid arena of academia if you want to maintain your independence.
John H Hill
August 26, 2012 at 5:23 am
When you apply for the white mans job, you agree to his dress code, which includes hair style. If you don’t want to comply, don’t apply.
Samdromeda
August 25, 2012 at 8:29 pm
I am who I am and your approval is not necessary.
Sic and tired!
August 25, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Why shouldn’t AA’s males adorn an ethnically driven hair style. Did we not fight hundreds of years for freedom. Continuing to live by standards of white society is rascist and appauling. Whites never have to endure social standards set by any other race, why should we? The skill, character, value and knowledge of the person wearing dreds/locks should be the determining factor’s of their assimilation into any industry! If not, we should take offense to whites swinging ponytails around almost anywhere USA. Who decided this was a professional look? I’m just sayin’….
moonhead
August 25, 2012 at 1:21 pm
This hair thing is ridiculous, but dress codes are not. If any of you had millions of dollars, would you trust your money with someone wearing their pants below their a*s? If any of you would, you probably just answered the question why you don’t have millions.
insightful
August 25, 2012 at 9:44 am
WOW!!! All I can say is that I HATE Black People who allow whites dictate how we should wear our hair FORGET them!!! It is enough of us to just do our own thing, but we are scared. We do everything to make sure there is unity; yet, they don’t give a d**n about unity at all. Whatever will be, will be is their moto. Look at TV and other functions where people are having fun, who is in attendance, mostly them. You know why? It is because we try 2 get those scrapes they call wages by sitting @home trying 2 change everything about ourselves in order 2 conform 2 their world. When will we learn BLACK PEOPLE???
C. Marshall
August 25, 2012 at 8:42 am
“Look the the part”. What does that mean? Should black males “slather” on skin whitening creams? Would that get them closer to being “accepted” by white America?
Miss T
August 25, 2012 at 8:10 am
Hampton Institute never would have allowed this to happen…Hampton University sold out!
Frank TALKER
August 25, 2012 at 6:59 am
Whites are clearly desperate to distract attention from their White supremacy and Institutional Racism by pretending Black snot getting jobs is because Blacks wear inapropriate hair rather than because they are Black.
Summer
August 25, 2012 at 1:52 am
When did wearing corn rows & dread locks as a hairstyle become ethnic?! On my trip to Africa I saw no one wearing those hair styles. All programs of study have different requirements and/or restrictions. Please check with your healthcare professionals & learn that nursing students have to wear their natural unpainted nails while in school. Why? It is because the industry requires it as part of the ‘uniform’. Students who do not like it should chose another major or another school. College is supposed to prepare you to successfully enter the workforce in your industry. Wear the ‘uniform’! When you’ve gained enough knowledge & experience to become a successful business owner you can then wear whatever you chose. The CEO/President doesn’t have to answer to or represent anyone but himself.
The mainstream, and some in the AA community, see cornrows & dreads as part of a ‘uniform’. Unfortunately that image is of a young black male entering the legal system as an offender. In this case it just is what it is!
Miss T
August 25, 2012 at 12:55 am
Please, these young people are sitting behind their computers making six figures…I know because my 21 year old just landed his first real job (with bennies) with a wrinkled shirt, full beard, and sneakers. He is a genius still in college, engineering. They need him and these young people are not worried about a suit and tie. Do I agree with it…no but my old school ways are rapidly becoming obsolete! My 30 year old works as a senior accountant for a fortune 500 company leaning on six figures…just went on a job interview…wore a pair of slacks blouse and flats…was I horrified yes but she stood on her record…waiting to hear but she probably got the job! I am shocked with Hampton (HBCU) because they are clearly out of touch! Somebody got their evil hand in that one….smh!
AP
August 25, 2012 at 12:09 am
This is crazy! I remember Shaw University banned a young girl with locs so she could not participate in an AKA debutant ball. But BEING IN corporate America I find Hampton’s ban a double edge sword. I actually worked with a Sr. Mgr at Accenture one of the TOP consulting firms who sported cornrows.
Even when I twist my hair to appear as locs my white, Hispanic and Indian collegues are in awe and love my hair. Sad it’s mostly BLACK PEOPLE with the issue! I have been natural for over 10 years when it wasn’t so popular.
Hampton teach your students pride in loving them and being confident I who they are if they are neat in appearance why bother. Most major corporations are going for diversity and targeting younger talent and hey younger talent does have tattoos and men may have long hair. I see my white and Indian male collegues with long hair so what’s the difference with a brother? Just look neat act professional and DELIVER! You can LOOK the “part” and be dumb as s**t!
G. Dot
August 24, 2012 at 11:03 pm
A is A: Even with a haircut, we still have ethnic hair. And there’s no denying our skin color. In the corporate world- whether black, white, red, or blue- you must look well cut and shaven. It is just the way of the world. Do you see white business men with full beards and long hair like white Jesus ? Or mexican men like Che Guevara? Or black men like Bob Marley? The answer is overwhelmingly NO. If you wish to let it grow, feel free to do so. It’s one of your god given inalienable rights. But don’t point the finger at anyone but yourself when you’re gainfully unemployed. And I’m not saying this is always the case. Some people do make it in corporate America with locks intact, but they are anomalies not the norm. So what’s it going to be? Bald Fade or Minimum Wage?
Joelle
August 24, 2012 at 10:41 pm
This has nothing to do with being black or seeking to conform. It is common sense professionalism. When you go to the corporate world, you don’t see white guys looking like skater dudes, surfer dudes, punk rockers, etc. … With long rock n roll hair. There is a standard of professionalism to maintain.
If you don’t like the standard, then you can go and open your own business and employ yourself.
Dee
August 24, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Whoa! When I first read this headline, I assumed this was a mixed race college, not a black one!!!! What a disgrace, this place needs to be ashamed of themselves. I’m white btw.
Kina
August 24, 2012 at 9:59 pm
Totally! What do we do…give up our god given hair rights? Just to have basic needs met through a job so that we can eat, have shelter, buy clothes on our back and enjoy the planet we live on?!!! You know this is appalling and stupid. It feeds into fear, complacency, and racist themes of domination and control that belong in another time period. I mean, really! It is time for the world to grow up! Time for change. It is time for society to stop being so d**n myopic and stop worrying about what our hair is doing and let us be who we are in the world with our hair and our intellect!!!
Abdul Sabur
August 24, 2012 at 8:54 pm
As a graduate of Hampton University I am very disgusted reading this very alarming news. Once again our HBCU’s and our educators have failed us! We are now teaching young African American minds to assimilate, do away with independent thinking , and look the part for white America. We should be teaching innovative ways African Americans can build and do for self. I am thankful that I had parents while I was at Hampton that never stress going and begging for a job but always put in my mind to create my own destiny and know your true worth. When we decide to break the chains of self hatred and begging for jobs and make a effort to teach our bright minds to do for self and stop thinking if the establishment we like it, we will be in a better place.
Hampton Grad
Successful Dreadlock wearing business owner.
Sherideth
August 24, 2012 at 8:43 pm
So In order to prosper in our world today an African American has to cutt their hair, use chemical that endanger our health, just to fit into a mold that was defined by who? The same people who have oppressed and discriminated against our people for how many centuries? I say no….there is still a way to have natural hair and be professional. People need to be more concerned with the abilities of that individual, not if their hair is kinky or straight, braided locked or faded. SMH at what we choose to value and devalue in people. God help us all!!!
Ruby
August 24, 2012 at 7:41 pm
I do not necessarily agree with the banning of locks (politically correct terminology these days). I have seen several young men hired in government professional positions with locks and also hired in the creative fields. I would, however, consider banning overt tattoos and body piercings-on hands, necks fore arms, feet ankles and calves. Perhaps, the school should consider banning men with beards and women with mustaches. The school should just implement a professional dress code for the students in their senior year. Tattoos and too much verbiage on social media sites will keep young people living with their parents and unemployed for much, much longer.
Joe L
August 24, 2012 at 4:39 pm
Rasil, you are looking at getting employment in a coop world with professional people, this is a step up from the hip-hop rapper world there is a different dress code that need to be adheared to in the professional you deal with all ages some wealthy and some poor, so you have to be able to communicate with all groups, check your local news station check their dress and mannerism, no ragae or hip-hop look, as the saying goes DRESS FOR SUCCESS.
Ugo
August 24, 2012 at 6:08 pm
Joe, in order to relate to others and achieve success in doing so, you first have to accept yourself whole heatedly for who you are.
People value authenticity.
Craig
August 25, 2012 at 9:25 am
So thoughtfully put, because; how can you be the best that you can be when you hate yourself?
Fayizah
August 24, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Joe u seem stuck in the 400yr brainwashed box racism/White supremacy has u as many locked in. Rasil is right. Clearly after 4 or more yrs of training in College a graduate or prospective intern will be able to discern if cutting locks or long natural hair will benefit employability or not, then make that choice. Y must students not yet going into corporate settings for work cut their hair b/c they’re taking some biz classes?! How/When will Black ppl ever be empowered when we continue to conform to Caucasian standards of what professional is?! I know & seen many perfectly groomed brothas with locks, tailored suits & briefcases. These bros r clearly well employed in corporate, politics and entrepreneurs. As article indicates, is HBCU only grooming students to be corporate slaves(no matter the income if the mind is in shackles)?! We really do still have a long way to go!
juanita
August 24, 2012 at 2:47 pm
by the way Professor Perry is a woman and had numerous jobs prior to landing the one she has. Hampton U is trying to help young black men eith a college degree have that edge during a recession.
juanita
August 24, 2012 at 2:43 pm
its called clean cut people !!!!
rasil
August 24, 2012 at 2:13 pm
I find this insulting, appalling, and compromising our ethnicity to meet the standards of whites. This dean is not what I young aspiring African Americans
should or need hear. No other ethnicity changes who they are to identify with another ethnicity. Obviously this dean has assimilated and is ashamed of who he is. I would never ban either locs or braids. He should be ashamed and dismissed. i have seen many male and female AAs wearing their hair natural and they looked just as professional as any one else. Perhaps he should take a look at Melissa Harris-Perry and note where she is…MSNBC national television.
SilentBro
August 24, 2012 at 5:39 pm
You may find it insulting and the writer may be embarrased about it but the reality is that if they want to go corporate then they will have to look the part. If they want to be culturally expressive in their appearance then maybe they need to go to a grass roots or afrocentric company. If we want our youth to start out on a level playing field then we have to provide them appropriate opportunities including training in dress, corporate ethics and appearance.