Quote:
Originally posted by Bajan_Delta
How am I mixing arguments? I've not made any comments implying that they want anyone to "act white". If a woman's hair is not permed what styling options does she have besides braiding, afro, cornrows or dreads? Again my question is why is it that wearing one's hair in these styles considered unprofessional?? Since when is it that afros, cornrows or braids are considered a woman's style. You may not have seen depictions of west indian slaves with dreads but I have. But that is neither here or there because Jesus is depicited as a white man. For centuries many have believed that our strength and our essence comes from our hair. This is why Rasta's dread.
I'm not saying that students enrolled need to make a cultural statement, however for some (including myself) their hair is part of their identity and their spirituality. Would you conform if someone told you that were you not allowed to pray to the God you believe in? Somewhere someone needs to take a stand. If my blackness makes some uncomfortable then that would not be the company for me. As a professional, does my afro make me some how unprofessional? In addition it is against the law under Title VII act of 1964 to discriminate against anyone based on race, color, gender, national orgin, sex or religion. Any company with a policy banning these specified hair styles are open to litigation because this rule will largely impact Blacks.
Please see the following excerpt from Wikipedia:
"Dreadlocks, sometimes called simply dreads or locks, are matted ropes of hair which will form by themselves if the hair is allowed to grow naturally without the use of brushes, combs, razors or scissors for a long period of time.
See also an excerpt from the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Dreadlocks are a universal phenomenon and through the ages, people of various cultures have worn dreadlocks. It can be said that what are known today as "dreadlocks" are one of the oldest and most universal hairstyles known.
Historical figures who wore dreadlocks include Samson, John the Baptist and King Tut. Like Samson, some Rastafarians consider hair as their strength and weakness will follow if cut. Others believe dreadlocks symbolize the mane from the biblical story of the Lion of Judah, which also is one of the titles bestowed upon all Ethiopian kings"
And also the King James Bible
"They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh." -- Leviticus 21:5."
I have a number of sources that you can refer to about Black Hair, I will be more than happy to share them with you.
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You've made my very point. To you, your hair is a socio-political statement. What the school is trying to inculcate in their students is to BE ABOUT BUSINESS. That is their concentration and focus. To train professionals. Corporate America doesn't care where you think you get your strength from. If I believed that my strength emanated from my branded Omega arms, would I be justified in exposing them on every sales call? Would a proud Son of the Confederacy be justified by wearing a confederate flag lapel pin on his suits?.
There are accepted norms for every profession. Flamboyant defense attorneys can wear ponytails and cowboy suits. District attorneys don't. One of my white collegeaues wanted to wear a Dale Earnhart mustache in honor of his hero. Boss said no, shave it.
My response was directed at men wearing braids and dreadlocks. Its fine for a woman to wear her hair in a natural state. I never said that women should be forced to wear perms Braided hair is a woman's hairstyle and a man should not be wearing such to work .
Biblically, I know of no passages that mention dreads. Samson was a Nazerite, a priestly order that was forbidden to cut their hair. If you assume that he was African, that could connote dreads, but if he were a typical Semite, then it would just be long hair.
John the Bapist by the Bibles own description, was an unkempt wild man. If his hair was anything like dreads, it would be because it was never combed and matted from living like a vagrant.
Using Wikpedias description of "dreadlocks", is that what a company wants representing to the face of the public?
Do you know any Ethiopians or Somalis that wear dreads. None of the thousands that I see runnig the parking lots in Atlanta seem to wear them. But being that we are derived from West Africans, I still don't see the cultral connection to "dreads". Senegalese, Gambian, Akan, Yoruba, Ibo, Angolan. Never seen a depiction of a man of these cultures with braids or dreads.