I am a curly girl and I love my natural hair! I also enjoy the field of work I am in, as stressful as it can be sometimes. But I hate to see the discrimination black women face in this industry because of the hair that naturally grows from our heads. Representation matters when it comes to women and how they wear their hair on TV. Little boys and girls need to see people like them on-screen so they can believe they can do be TV journalists too. Fortunately, there are some people who are making a difference one broadcast at a time!
It is expected that there be dress and appearance guidelines at businesses and television news stations.
Yet unlike attire that can easily be changed, hair is a defining characteristic of a person. It does not grow out the same for everyone.
The issue hit home for Asha Staples, a reporter for New Orleans’ WWL-TV, who recalled how stressed she was in the early stages of her journalism career.
“When I graduated from college in 2013 and quickly entered the professional world, there seemed to be an unwritten rule of what it looked like to be a professional,” Staples said. “Be a size two, have straight hair, shop the biggest brands, have perfect makeup and flawless skin.”
Staples, 29, said it took her almost six years in the broadcast industry until she realized that she could wear her hair naturally because her hair does not define her professionalism.
A 2020 study from Duke University showed Black women with natural hair were judged as less professional and were less likely to be offered job interviews than white and Black applicants with straight hair. This hair discrimination is legal in many states.
Many Black women across the nation are working towards a future where natural hair is normal and more accepted in the workplace through natural hair movements and laws like the CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.
The CROWN Act reported, 80% of Black women have to change their hair from its natural state to fit in at their workplace. They also reported Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home because of their hair.
Staples said mothers of young girls told her their daughters could relate to her because she looked like them. She realized she didn’t have to have long straight hair to fit in, but she could wear her natural hair and still be respected within the industry.
“I hope I’m a small part of the ‘be yourself, my hair doesn’t define me’ trend,” Staples said. “I hope it lets other young girls and women love themselves, have confidence in standing tall in who they are, and show others there’s no true picture of the word professional in the dictionary.”
Among many natural hair movements are Curly Girls On Air. In 2018, WGCL-TV reporter Iyani Hughes of Atlanta created the online community on Facebook and Instagram. The purpose was to highlight women who are bold enough to wear their natural curls during a televised broadcast.
“I started Curly Girls On Air because I was tired of being told ‘no’ to certain positions at certain stations simply because of how I chose to wear my hair on television,” Hughes said. “My hair grew out of my head that way, and I was tired of employers and sometimes viewers telling me what was and was not acceptable.”
Hughes, 28, said the day-to-day responsibilities of running Curly Girls On Air include posting encouraging and engaging content for the curly community and others who are inspired to wear their natural hair but have not fully transitioned. That content includes featuring different women on digital platforms.
Although Hughes gets to engage with journalists across the nation, she said her favorite part about running Curly Girls On Air are the testimonies of encouragement on-air personalities received from the page. Hughes said any time she can help someone genuinely be themselves, she considered that a win.
“Curly Girls On Air is an extension of my personal testimony,” Hughes said. “It does feel good that so many other women are using the platform to feel welcome, supported, and accepted in the industry. However, the goal is to change the standard of beauty in the media industry, and that is where this platform comes in because unfortunately, we still have a long way to go.”
Hughes plans to continue growing the online community by celebrating every woman. She encourages all on-air personalities to like, share, and tag their photos to the Curly Girls On Air accounts. People can follow Curly Girls On Air on Facebook and Instagram.
Because of the narrative of straightened hair being equivalent to professionalism, many Black women face hair discrimination more than white women. Yet they continue to wear their curly hair in their workplaces and occasionally gain viral attention on social media from it.
Dallas’ WFAA News reporter Tashara Parker went viral last year after doing her traffic report with her hair styled in four buns. She addressed the situation in a video on social media titled, “Why does my crown offend you?”
“The way hair grows out of your head shouldn’t be a trending topic on social media. The style that you wear also shouldn’t trigger that type of a reaction,” Parker said. “I’m thinking those old, outdated rules should probably be updated at some point. I’m sure many of the rules made up about what’s considered professional whether at school or at work, they weren’t made up by a lot of people who look like me.”
Since going viral, Parker has received many pictures and videos of little Black girls and young women imitating her look which she also shares on her social media. While discussing the CROWN ACT, Parker said it is sad Black women specifically need a law to exist as their natural selves.
The only states where it is illegal to discriminate against natural hair is California, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, and Maryland. People can help end hair discrimination across America by signing the CROWN Act’s petition here.
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