Most people take pride in their hair and want it to look presentable in the eyes of the public. For a lot of black men and women, looking presentable and professional can be difficult to balance. Many companies have different rules about what is considered professional which can cause issues for black employees.

According to The Legal Defense Fund hair discrimination against black people in the workplace can prohibit black hairstyles, prevent advancement and promotion, deny employment, and even justify the removal of their job.

Danny Pirtle, associate professor of criminal justice at The University of Tennessee at Martin said, “It's still challenging, it’s still viewed negatively in many workplaces. In fact, there are still some states that can deny you the opportunity for employment if you don't assimilate and wear your hair in what they consider to be a professional manner.”

Lauryn Davis, a broadcast major at The University of Tennessee at Martin said, “We come from a society and a world where wearing your natural state of hair is not acceptable In so many industries black women and men get chastised for the way they wear their hair, but this is professional, this is what the world looks like now.”

In many cases, black men and women have kinky and curly hair textures and typically wear hairstyles associated with black culture such as afros, braids, locs, Bantu knots, twists, and cornrows. However, in professional spaces, this isn’t always welcomed.

April Pittard, business trainer at Elavon Inc. said, “Sometimes you do have to change your hair to fit the atmosphere. I feel the need to change it, but not in a drastic way that it changes who I am, but unfortunately, I do have to fit the occasion.”

Though this can be a prevalent issue for some black women, many black men have also experienced this discrimination.

Zachary Jones, sports anchor of one year at WBBJ in Jackson, Tennessee said, “I remember once somebody told me, if you want to be in the business and do communications you probably need to cut your hair. And I said we'll see, because I feel like if I can do the work and put in the time it's just as well as somebody who doesn't have my hair type, there’s no reason I'm not qualified for that.”

Pirtle, who previously had locs, a hairstyle formed when the strands of hair lock within itself, was offered a job that was dependent upon whether he would cut his hair.

“I was given the offer that Wednesday or Thursday and she says, hey, Danny, I just wanted to let you know that the offer is basically contingent upon you cutting your hair. And I'm thinking, but you not only knew me before I interviewed for this job. You just saw me. You knew my hair was this length when you gave me the job offer on Wednesday,” said Pirtle.

According to the new Crown 2023 Workplace Research Study, 66% of black women change their hair for a job interview and more than 20% of black women between 25 and 34 have been sent home from work because of their hair.

U.S. states have different opinions around signing the CROWN Act Legislation for their state.

​Black people are also 3.5% more likely to be perceived as unprofessional because of their hair and 30% more likely to be made aware of a formal workplace appearance policy. This is the case for many black people as they must decide whether to be authentically themselves or conform to a standard that was never inclusive to people of color.

“We are told that we need to have our hair straightened or we need to be blonde-haired and blued eyed and but representation for black hair is so important and it matters.”

To combat the negative association that many employers have with black hairstyles, many states have signed the Crown Act that prevents discrimination based on hairstyles and textures in the workplace. However, this act hasn’t been signed in all 50 states, leaving room for many other states to allow this discrimination.

Although hair discrimination is still very prevalent today, many companies with diverse employees and the media have played a significant role in the acceptance of ethnic hair.

Amari Mills, a journalism major at The University of Tennessee at Knoxville said, “I've never felt like I needed to change my hair or that I will need to change it in the future. And I think that's because now I'm looking at black women in the career fields that I'm interested in, and I see that they wear their hair natural and that they get supported by other black journalists.”

News Anchor, Tashara Parker defies the normal standard of only straight hair on the air

Those entering the workplace have begun to see a diverse display of hairstyles and textures in the media, inspiring them to unapologetically stand for hair equality and to never accept this discrimination.

“I think there's this idea that you're more relatable to the audience if you have straight hair, but this is also the hair that goes out of my head and I don't want to have to hide it for a career and damage it over years and years of my career,” said Mills.