Hampton University Bans Cornrows and Dreads

It's not the first time we've seen an institution of some type try to place boundaries on what people can and cannot do with their hair.

Remember the post I did a few weeks ago about the flight attendant who was forced to hide his dread under a terrible wig in order to keep his job because his natural hairstyle was harming the company's image?  

http://thetruthaccordingtotrey.blogspot.ca/2012/07/would-you-hide-your-hair-to-keep-your.html

Well, this time its Hampton University.  They have created a rule for its male business students:  No dreads or cornrows.

The mandate was put in place in 2001 and only applies to a specific group of students enrolled in a leadership course within Hampton's five-year M.B.A. program.  The Dean of the Business School believes that the hairstyles will prevent students from securing corporate jobs.

Maybe he's right?? Maybe in corporate America the 'old boys network' frowns upon those hairstyles...SO WHAT!  What ever happened to freedom of choice?  

I wonder if people think that this natural hair movement is some kind of political stance as it was also viewed in the 70s?  Are people afraid of our afros, dreads and cornrows and somehow disguise it as something that 'for your own good?'

I see what the Hamptons University is trying to do: make their students employable once they leave the walls of academia, BUT banning a hairstyle is not the way to achieve that! 

The question I have is this:  Was this ban justifiable? Are cornrows and dreadlocks truly unprofessional?  How much does (or should) your hair be a factor when applying for a job? 

I would love to hear from the professional men with dread out there!

Share your thoughts and comments with me.  Join the discussion!

Would You Hide Your Hair To Keep Your Job?

Would you hide your hair to save your job?  That's a decision that a French flight attendant had to make.  Aboubakar Traoré, a Frenchman of Ivorian decent, was forced to hide his hair under a terrible toupee in order to remain employed.

Traoré was hired by Air France in 1999, and has been wearing dreads for quite a few years.  It's only recently that his hair has caused a stir claiming that his harm was 'harming the company's image' and that he would have to wear a wig or risk losing his job.  (This limitation was only placed on the men, because female flight attendants are permitted to wear braids and dreads.)

As a result, a petition was started to get the company to review and update it's policies to reflect the ethnic diversity of it's employees, and demonstrators have gathered and protested Air France's policies.

It's time to WAKE UP folks!  We're living in a time were more and more people are embracing their natural hair, however, certain hairstyles are still deemed 'unprofessional' by certain companies.  It's disheartening that we sometimes still have to fight for the basics.


I would love to hear your thoughts....would you ever consider altering your image to save your job?  Has anyone ever done that before?  What were the results of your change?