Black women suffer prejudice with natural hair and braids at work: ‘I’ve already rescheduled an interview because I didn’t have a brush’

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Research pointed out that black women’s hair is 2.5 times more likely to be perceived as ‘unprofessional’. Seller heard braids were ‘more like a hippie fair’. Gessica Justino Reproduction “You have to send an email with photos to the supervisor to authorize you to put braids”. The salesperson Gessica Justino heard the above phrase said by the manager of the telephone shop where she was an employee, after telling her that she was thinking of changing her hairstyle. Can company require hair styling? Lawyers answer 63% of black women have already suffered prejudice in job selections It was the second time that she intended to wear braids in that workplace. A year earlier, the carioca adopted dreadlocks and ended up being embarrassed by the supervisor in front of about 20 people at a meeting. The woman said that hair was “not company standard” and that it looked “more like hair for a hippie fair”. “If you want to be here, you have to conform to a standard”, she said. “There is a rule [invisível] in the labor market about what is the professional hair pattern, which excludes women with curly or frizzy hair”, says the specialist in diversity and inclusion in companies Luana Genót. The lawyer in anti-discrimination law Luana Pereira explains that cases like this are seen as discrimination on account of race, ethnicity or religion and can be considered racism. When the situation is experienced within the company, the expert’s recommendation is that the victim seek the Labor Court (see more guidance at the end of the report). Gessica did: in 2011, she filed a lawsuit for moral damages at the Regional Labor Court in Rio de Janeiro. After six years, the seller won the lawsuit in the first instance and the company did not appeal. Gessica claims that, although it was “wounded” by prejudice, left “strengthened for the next journeys”. Failure in interviews A global survey recently released by LinkedIn showed that black women’s hair is 2.5 times more likely to be perceived as “unprofessional”. The survey, carried out in partnership with a brand of personal care products, heard 2,990 women aged between 25 and 64 years. 25% of respondents said they had failed interviews because of their hair. That’s what happened to accountant Ana Maria Duarte, from Belo Horizonte. She started using products to straighten her hair as a teenager, in 2005, at her mother’s decision. And it continued throughout her adult life, according to her, to feel accepted in the job market. Another conclusion of the research is that prejudice against the natural hair of black women can affect the way candidates participate in selection processes. In all, it was 13 years straightening my hair. Ana does not remember having lived in her profession with black women with natural hair, only white women. I’ve already rescheduled the interview because I didn’t have brushed hair, I thought the volume might show sloppiness. Niece motivated hair transition With the pandemic and social isolation, the entrepreneur decided to take on her curls. The biggest reason for her transition to natural hair was her five-year-old niece Elis. Because Elis was a black girl with curly hair, the aunt wondered if she would have references to black people during her growth. Ana and niece Elis Reproduction Worried, Ana started talking to her sisters and friends about the subject. After several exchanges, she realized, at age 29, that she was also a black woman. Before I was brunette, brown, grimy, anything but black. In transition, still with straight hair, she said she was black and some people laughed, saying that I wanted to get into the fashion of being black. Currently, Ana has her own accounting business focused on MEI, in the capital of Minas Gerais, and her goal is to professionally inspire other black women to achieve their dreams. For diversity specialist Luana Genót, the loneliness of black people at work is common and happens in both the public and private sectors. She believes that, if the government had affirmative policies, such as quotas for entering companies, this would be a means of expanding opportunities. What to do if you are a victim of discrimination If you experience any situation of racism or racial slurs in the workplace, lawyer Luana Pereira advises that the victim gather evidence to prove the crime. “In the case of conversations, if there is a situation of racism, it is important to record or film it. If it is via email or WhatsApp messages, take a ‘print’ and save it on (Google) Drive (for example), because sometimes , you can lose your cell phone or it can be stolen and the evidence lost”, he explains.

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