It amazes me that to this day, black hair is still not treated fairly. I know this may seem a bit late, but I recently found out that at Hampton University, there has been a strict ban put on men of color. If enrolled in the leadership m.b.a program they are not allowed to wear dreadlocks or cornrows. Now I understand that to some of you this may not seem like a problem, I mean after all it's just hair. So why should it matter, just cut it off, and get the job. However, to those with this solution I must respectfully disagree.
Why is it that black people can not wear their hair freely without being condemned over every little curl, texture, length, style, or design? I have never met any other race that is constantly being limited by what they can do with their hair. One wouldn't ask a White, Asian, Hawaiian, Indian, Native American, or Latino man to change his, so why must the black man? Shame on you Hampton! And when asked in 2001 why they chose to create this rule Sid Credle, Dean of the Business School, responded with “All we’re trying to do is make sure our students get into the job.”
First and foremost I wouldn't want to work for a business who won't hire me simply because of the way I choose to wear my hair in the first place. My ability to complete tasks in a business has nothing to do with the keratin on my head. People are hired to do a job, and I don't understand how dreadlocks could infringe on that. Last time I checked dreadlocks weren't getting stuck in the fax machine or typing up the wrong reports. They dont harass co workers, or eat other workers lunch in the office. Dreadlocks aren't alive, it's a protein America!!! Honestly get over yourself.
And to be a part of a historically black institution, a place that is supposed to uplift the black person. Support them in every aspect of their life, be the community they need to succeed and still be told to change yourself. This is disgusting, these hairstyles originated in the black community, so to have your own Dean tell you not to wear it is not only disheartening but disgusting.
A company is not hiring your hair, they don't ask for your hair's birth certificate. They don't conduct background checks on it, or ask what graduate school our hair went to. So why in the world does it matter if someone chooses to lock it up, or braid it back? My job description has nothing to do with the way my hair looks, and it is disturbing to know that there are people out there who truly believe that a style could determine whether or not a black man would be capable of getting a job done.
