MY HAIR IS PROFESSIONAL
Guys! say it all the way from the back Natural Hair is Professional!
I’ve learnt to love going to the office with my natural hair. It’s so versatile and can be styled and worn in many different ways. I love changing it up. Wash and Go’s, twists, blown out, neat low bun, chic high bun. Hair that’s curly, wavy, coily, springy and growing out of one’s head is Professional.
When you think of a professional person, what comes to mind? A particular type of attire and dress code, neatly cut and fitted apparel, heels or closed toe flats, a particular type of language and speech, you can even visualize what a professional environment might look like. These things are all associated with the term professional.
What about hair? When you consider professional images, what type of hair do you envision? Chances are your mind automatically reverts to images of primly pressed, slicked back buns or free flowing evenly trimmed tresses. Right?
Of course, these are the images of professional and dare I say success that have been ingrained in our psyches and which we have become accustomed to and furthermore, what we expect.
How do natural hairstyles fit into this professional mold which we have come to expect?
What is the main cause of contention with natural hair and more so some natural hairstyles, in relation to the professional type of environment?
Why are some hair types and hairstyles deemed as professional while others are deemed inappropriate, urban or ghetto and are severely frowned upon?
Advent of the naturalista movement and natural hairstyles.
The advent of the natural hair movement in the late 2000’s saw the emergence of an enigma never seen before…the professional naturalista or naturalist as the case may be. The embodiment of a professional but with a distinctive twist…the acceptance of and fully rocking their own naturally grown, not chemically treated hair and the hair styles which come along with it.
Women perfectly attired in high heels and afros, twists and twist outs, bantu knots and cornrows…men in shirts and ties adorned with plats, corn rows and locs. What a sight to behold! All hail the advent of the natural hair movement.
What brought about this paradigm shift now wreaking havoc in the corporate and professional arenas?
Simply a level of self acceptance and self love never before experienced, for that which is our own. Complete freedom and acceptance of the hair which grows from our scalp…unmanipulated and unmutilated, for the first time in centuries.
As we began exploring and experimenting, we discovered new styles, new products and our versatility became our best friend and so we loved and embraced. From this love and acceptance, the corporate world was not exempt.
The Professional of yesteryear compared to the professional today
What do you remember of the professionals of yesteryear? When I think of professionalism in the 80’s and early 90’s nothing represented the epitome of corporate and professional as the women and men in the Financial Services Sector!
As a child growing up in Trinidad and Tobago in the 80’s and 90’s, to get a job in the bank was an honor and a sure sign that you had made it….you had reached a certain standard in the eyes of your family and friends. To a child the bank ladies were an image of awe and wonder. They always looked so beautiful and well put together. The combination of their high heels clanking loudly with each stride, their bright smiles, perfectly blushed cheeks and of course their lovely flowing or slicked back hair to top off the image. It was as if being beautiful was a prerequisite for bank employment or at least that’s as far as a child’s mind would lead them to believe.
This is the professional image we grew up knowing to be acceptable and the ones we embraced.
Sectors such as financial services, banking, and the airline industry were the epitome of professionalism and as such from these industries, we derived the standard. They set the bar for what should and what should not be deemed appropriate.
Natural hair was not representative of what was expected of a professional woman. On the rare occasion a woman wore her natural hair, it was normally well tamed, pressed, blown out or cut very low into what we call a boy cut or TWA.
Everything about this shifted our thinking into believing that our hair was not professional enough to be worn in its natural, untainted form.
From relaxers, to perms and jerry curls, we knew the formula and knew what was expected of us in such environments. From comments such as ‘that hairstyle is too ghetto for work’, that hairstyle makes you look poor’, and even the familiar comment which again reared its head quite recently as related to a local politician who chose to wear a loose natural style at a news conference…doesn’t she own a comb and brush?’
Society and most work spaces are becoming more accepting of diverse/ natural hair.
The good news is that these barriers are slowly but surely being broken and it’s about time! Naturalistas are now making a permanent mark not only in the workplace but also in political arenas, international beauty pageants and as far reaching as Hollywood, in advertising and on the big screen. With notable figures and influencers such as Tiffany Haddish, Lupita Nyongo and Taraji P. Henson openly and honestly sharing their views, documenting and sharing their journeys with the world.
Even right here in Trinidad and Tobago we have public figures and Politicians such as Dr Nyan Gabsy Dolly and entertainer Fay Ann Lyons – Avarez (the Viqueen herself) championing our cause and ending those archaic contradictions that our natural tresses are not appropriate for certain environments.
The cause for the acceptability of natural hair has in recent times also been the basis of several legal and legislative arguments and ongoing cases currently being fought for the right to grow and wear our hair as we please. Notably the CROWN ACT which has been gaining traction in the US. This act seeks to make it illegal to discriminate against someone over the way they wear their hair.
Cheers to us!
We have come a long way, but the battle is not over just yet. We still have a long journey ahead of us for full acceptance and even greater representation but the strides we have made should not be downplayed and taken for granted.
As we continue to embrace what is ours, we will continue to push full acceptance not only for ourselves but also for the generations to follow.
It is imperative that we continue to break those biased barriers and proclaim…
My hair is professional.
