Natural Hair : How Afro Hairstyle Discrimination Still Affects Black Women's Careers

Apparently, Your Hair Needs a CV Too...

An accomplished lawyer once told me she’d never make partner unless her hair was "professional." And by professional, they meant straight. Wigged. Relaxed. Sewn-in.

Let’s pause. Imagine being brilliant at your job, pulling 14-hour days, winning cases — and being told your hair is the barrier. That’s not style advice, it’s structural bias.

There is nothing wrong with wigs, weaves, or straight styles. But when these become an expectation rather than a choice? That assimilation dressed as professionalism is exhausting for the individuals affected by this form of violence! Eurocentric beauty standards still dominate workplace definitions of "tidy", "neat", and "executive-presentable." But curls don’t equate to chaos. Afro doesn’t mean amateur. And locs aren’t unkempt.

Black professionals shouldn't have to shrink, stretch or straighten themselves to move up. Talent is not hair-deep.

Reality check: We still live in a world where natural Afro hair is seen as a political act, not... hair. When ambition meets bias, hair becomes a battlefield. That needs to end.

Let’s shift it: Want a real professional look? Confidence, competence, and curl power — straighteners should be a personal option!

HR teams and Decision-makers: rethink your grooming policies, and audit your unspoken standards. Because if your workplace values inclusion, it should include our natural selves. If you need to learn more, access resources like The Halo Code. There is simply no excuse for this continued discrimination that prevents individuals wearing their hair as nature intended, from reaching their full potential in the workplace.