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News & Sports > Top News
JOB INTERVIEW-TO BRAID OR NOT TO BRAID(63)
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I love braids!! So I go by this moto : When in doubt - don't. Even though you might love them, as do I, everyone does not and you have to compensate for that , just in case they do not have an open mind --- better safe than sorry!!! I had that exact experience.I had to endure a press and curl and had to get my braids done over afterwards but it was worth the effort and everyone is really okay with them at my job now that I do have them. I don't feel like I selled out or anything, because hair is hair no matter how you wear it. I like my hair in braids as well as natural , so for me thats the norm and certainly not demeaning to me in any way. I did what I had to do, to get my foot in the door and that takes sacrifice and I think my boss kind of knew that and can see that in my attitude. When you have that kind of professional attitude you'll get much respect -- braids or not. DeSI |
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I am at that crossroad myself. I have braids that need to come out like yesterday and I think I am going to get micros. I see nothing wrong with them and I live in a conservative city as well. If yt cannot accept me with micros then they really are going to flip when I get twists or locs!. Tried that press and curl trick but I had a puff on my head in less than an hour after it was done. I was pissed that I wasted that $40. Then again I haven't permed my hair in at least 3yrs. |
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It's amazing what sister's go through with their hair, just to be "accepted in the beloved" of corporate skyscrapers! LOL Do you Sistahs feel that by conforming to a Euro "accepted" standard of decency, that this is somewhat like "selling" your soul or dignity... in the name of a paycheck? Do you think this negatively affects your self-esteem as Black women in a society that openly promotes individiuality? UnBeweavable
Frank and hilarious opinions by African-American men about the hairstyles of Black women. Viewer Rating Watch this Black Indy movie online at: http://www.urbanworld.com/film.cfm?10021 Edited 7/18/01 4:42:15 PM ET by JUSTLCEPROJE |
8.4/10 (500 votes) |
You know what right now I see it as a survival mechanism. I have to earn money to pay bills and eat. No one is going to give me anything. Sadly i live in a city that is not as progressive as Atl or Dc where black women may have the ability to get a gig with a fro. Yes, I think it is sad that we a black women have to conform, put acids in our hair or weaves. I do think it is stressful. Think of all the time a black woman is going to spend in getting her hair done in her lifetime. My friend loced her hair and now she gets it retwisted 1x every 7-10 weeks. Most women go to the salon every two weeks. Corporate America is not an envirnoment that is meant for us anyway. Getting a degree and then going straight to the cracka man hasn't gotten us very far in the last 50 or so years. What industry do we as black people own?????? |
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The question that has to be asked is does one really want to work in an environment where this is an issue? The question also has to be asked that isn't it a goddamn shame that in the year 2001 this is even an issue. Unfortunately everybody in corporate america has to make a decision as to how much they want to "play the game". Corporations are very conscious of what kind of image their employees project. Particularly those employees that deal directly with customers. The real issue is how much are you willing to compromise your values to get hired or promoted?
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<Corporate America is not an envirnoment that is meant for us anyway. Getting a degree and then going straight to the cracka man hasn't gotten us very far in the last 50 or so years.> I agree with this here. We get our college educations, only to give our "best talent" away to corporate America which has no vested interest in the Black community... (excluding Anheiser-Bush and the RJ Reyonlds tobacco company, sadly!) <What industry do we as black people own??????> I hear the crickets singing... (still thinking. I'll just back to you on this one) There are 4 industry sectors which I know allow Black women to wear braids, locks, knots and afro puffs. 1) Most non-profit organizations are fair 2) medical or hospital professions 3) government jobs such as postal services, court house administration and 4) BLACK OWNED COMMUNITY BUSINESSES, LOL One thing I appreicated about my ex-wife was that she was a penny pincher--when I first met her! She worked for a corporate firm and wore very "realistic looking and stylish" wigs. I had no idea she wore a wig until I picked her up, after work, at her home, and she was sporting a nice corn roll hair style! After we got married, she demanded that I pay for her hair salon visits EVERY weekend! You are RIGHT about the cost of keeping your hair professionally maintained! |
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<The real issue is how much are you willing to compromise your values to get hired or promoted?> That pretty much sums up the matter! Keep in mind as you're asking this question, you're asking a generation of people who would commit perjury against their own sibling for $200 or a hit of crack... a generation that avows they wouldn't spit in the direction of their absent father if he was ablaze... a generation who would sue their own mother over a $50 unpaid cellphone bill... a generation who'll have children and allow them to grow up in the streets like weeds!
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She doesn't have to really compromise who she is, she only has to play the game enough to get her foot in the door, you know, get hired, do her 90 days and then once she has security in her position, she can let herself come out. Then when she does that, they can't tell her not to put braids in her hair because she can sue.
~Life is a long discovery isn't it? You only get your wisdom bit by bit.~ Hilaire Belloc. |
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"Does one really want to work in an environment where this is an issue?" I think she should work in an environment where this is an issue, do like I said in the previous post, then get her braids put back in, the company can't do anything about it, and she can change their ideas or perceptions about braids. That's how changes are made in corporations. ~Life is a long discovery isn't it? You only get your wisdom bit by bit.~ Hilaire Belloc. Edited 7/19/2001 1:00:52 AM ET by POWERPUFFGIR |
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You said that for the interview if they don't hire her because of the braids, that she can sue them. Well, first she'll have to prove that they didn't hire her because of the braids. They are not just going to admit that it was the braids! LOL! They could give any reason behind not hiring her (her qualifications, lack of experience, etc.) even if it really was because of the braids. So suing at that time won't do any good. So I said that she should take the braids out for the interview, let them hire her, do her 90- days probation period(during the 90 days probation, they have the right to fire her for any reason they choose, after 90 days, they can't), then put the braids back in. If they tell her not to wear braids at that time, then she can sue them for it. That's what I was saying. ~Life is a long discovery isn't it? You only get your wisdom bit by bit.~ Hilaire Belloc. Edited 7/19/2001 1:22:47 AM ET by POWERPUFFGIR |
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It's time for black women to own up to the fact that a lot of the hair horror we go through is SELF IMPOSED. How are we going to change other people's minds about our natural hair styles when so many of US are the ones who think they look bad/unprofessional? I honestly don't think white people in general even CARE that much about our natural hairstyles. You will have a harder time getting a job with multi-colored, PERMED, hair that is piled to the ceiling than you would a conservative BRAIDED style. We are creating a lot of this drama for ourselves and perpetuating a problem that could be squashed in one generation if black women would just wear the styles that fit our hair texture (regardless of what our natural texture is). Black women piling chemicals on our heads to look like another group of women is NOT perpetuated by white people, it is learned in the black home. Perhaps at one time it was a survival mechanism, but that is NO longer the case in 2001. We need to take responsibility for CHOOSING to conform to a beauty standard that is NOT realistic. |
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There are 4 industry sectors which I know allow Black women to wear braids, locks, knots and afro puffs. 1) Most non-profit organizations are fair 2) medical or hospital professions 3) government jobs such as postal services, court house administration and 4) BLACK OWNED COMMUNITY BUSINESSES, LOL I work as an IT Consulatant at a BANK and the two black people on the management team for our HUGE, high profile project are black women who wear braids and locs. This problem is blown way out of proportion by COWARDLY, brainwashed black women. Just wear the dang braids/locs and do your JOB. Edited 7/19/2001 3:28:02 PM ET by LUVMYCHANGE |
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Well, the way I took it was "change who you are in order to get the possition you want, then be yourself" which is something I am totally against. But I see where you're coming from with that. It makes sense. My friend should have done the opposite. She wore her braids and got the job. Was told to take 'em out, she did, and she was fired within a week or two anyway (by a brotha). But maybe the brotha knew what would happen and was tryina help her out. I don't know, but I do know one thing --Racism's a bitch. SCD
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Definitely keep your braids in. If the employer/interviewer has a problem with them, I'm sure he/she would let you know that at the interview or if the person doesn't ask, bring up the topic and see what the response is. I've been wearing braids for almost three years now, and I've never taken them out for an interview. As a matter of fact, I've gone to interviews over the past 2½ years with my braids, and actually, the white folks were always impressed by 'em. Peace.... Live for the day, but plan for the future! |
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Thats all good but you have to GET the job to do the job. In this day and age white people still hold us under certain standards of appearance. If you don't believe it then check out the black people on tv that are anchors, none of them have naturals. Even in 2001 there are black people that have to sue companies because they are told thier appearance (hairstyle) is not acceptable. Other blacks can and will continue to perpetuate these problems as well. "Girl when are you going to take those braids out?". I can't worry about other blacks, most of us are not in the position to hire and fire anyway. PPG, it would be nice if all companies had a 90 day probationary period some have up to 1yr+. Thats a long time to fake the funk or risk damaging your hair to conform. Too bad we are all caught up in wanting to work for yt instead of getting our own shytt. |
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