Going Natural In Corporate America

A recent article on CNN.com addresses a popular conversation among Professional Black Women...How will my natural hair be received in Corporate America? This topic has been discussed and debated in my salon among women. Some feel and have experienced the heaviest criticism from their Black female counterparts, while their white colleagues are either intrigued or indifferent. Others argue that white colleagues do not know how to address the topic of hair, so to avoid accusations of discrimination they say nothing to us, but definitely discuss amongst themselves. This leaves some women apprehensive about making the decision to wear natural styles.

Personally I think that this is a healthy conversation that we need to have. For years we have been bombarded with images of a beauty ideal that we will never be able to accomplish. The choice to wear a natural hairstyle is not always a statement of rebellion but a claim of freedom and self-love. For most women it goes hand-in-hand with the choice of leading a healthier lifestyle. They are no longer allowing their hair to prevent them from being active. For others, they are suffering with hair loss and cannot continue harmful styling techniques that will make the condition progressively worse. The reasons for going natural are endless, but at the end of the day, we must first get to a place of acceptance and comfort with ourselves and our reasons for choosing a natural hair style so that we are not projecting our insecurities onto others. In particular, our colleagues in Corporate America.

Read the article for your self and let me know your thoughts:

Going Natural in Corporate America