Is my natural curly hair unprofessional?

I think that in order to be taken seriously, I as a woman of color must have straight hair


Hair: not the musical, but a four letter word that describes my life. I was born with a head of hair in which every piece looped around each other and curled creating a thick bundle of brown curls. When I was little I had no idea how to manage my wooly locks, and I didn’t think they needed to be tamed. My pride multiplied with every inch that my frizzy locks grew. It wasn’t until the sixth grade when I realized that everyone had straight sleek hair. Pre-pubescent vulnerability set in and I felt different and ugly. In high school, I experimented with relaxation treatments but nothing stuck. My hair was never shiny, sleek or straight.
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I have a theory that involves the media, and black women displayed with power (and… shocker, straight hair) to blame for my pre-pubescent insecurity. I have selected three women (two of which are fictional characters), that hold positions of power and are inspirations for young women of color to prove my point.

Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) from How to Get Away with Murder

Viola Davis portrays the lead character Annalise Keating in the hit show, How to Get Away with Murder. Mrs. Keating is a criminal law professor and an ambitious defense attorney who represents clients who have committed fraud, arson and even murder. For my readers who are not familiar with the series, Mrs. Keating can be described as “unpredictable, sexy, charismatic, powerful and dangerous.”

Throughout the series, Mrs. Keating solves murders, commits murders, and defends murderers, all with sleek straight hair framing her face. The only moments in which Mrs. Keating is shown with her natural hair is when she is in the comfort of her own home and is facing strenuous moments of emotional turmoil, vulnerability and hardship.

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is the first African-American First Lady of the United States. Mrs. Obama and her family arguably represent the African-American population of the United States. As a woman with great power, Mrs. Obama is refined, intelligent and extremely refreshing.

Throughout her two terms as First Lady, she has never been displayed to the US public with her natural hair. She has had countless weaves, and relaxation treatments to withstand her First Lady image. I even did a quick Google search for “Michelle Obama’s natural hair” and the only image that she “appeared” to have natural hair in was photoshopped.

Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) from Scandal 

Kerry Washington plays Oliva Pope in the political drama ScandalOlivia Pope is based off a real “crisis manager” Judy Smith. Pope is a crisis manager in Washington, D.C. who runs her own firm “Pope & Associates.” Pope is fast on her feet in times of crisis for the White House, and she is even involved with the most powerful man in the United States.

The role that Kerry Washington plays is considered revolutionary, according to Felicia Lee of The New York Times, as Olivia Pope is the first female African-American protagonist to be displayed on TV since 1974. Her role has given the African-American community high aspirations. Yet, she is never shown with her natural hair.

Conclusion

All three of these impactful women represent the African-American community yet, they are never shown with their natural given hair. I think that in order to be taken seriously in a professional atmosphere, I as a woman of color must display straight hair. But what if I don’t want to? What if I like my hair naturally? Stepping into a  professional work atmosphere, I will wear my hair as I please. Curly or straight.

@robertsongraciela