Racial profiling has reared its head in MANY forms as history dictates, however, its presence in the corporate world is seemingly the most prevalent....

I will be completing my undergraduate study in two years and proceeding to law school....Each day I ponder how I will nearly be coerced to cut my hair to be "accepted" in the legal field...In a most unfortunate manner, Americans are "programmed" to fit a certain template image.....A close friend of mine is being harassed at his job solely because of his hair...HIS co-worker already cut his long hair.....The idea of suppressing your expression for the corporate world is sickening....

So I ask...Do you think the "face" of the corporate world bears the ability to change within the next 5 to 10 years?? Have you ever experienced a similar situation?? What do YOU view as the "face" of the corporate world?? Does a "face" exist??

That is all...

That IM ish- AmAsIWas

"Froctember" is a Month That Doesn't Exist
_____________________________________

"9096362586928736086876"- My calculator

"(Wind Wind)"- Bin

"I dilute my orange juice"- Sunshine

"Mal!!"- Ricky

"Babushka"- Sunshine

Radiohead- "Kid A"- October 3, 2000.....LET THE EXCITEMENT CONSUME YOU!!!!!!

Each day
>I ponder how I will
>nearly be coerced to cut
>my hair to be "accepted"
>in the legal field

B.S. I worked for a black criminal defense attorney in Texas they didn't care. As long as your cases are prepared and you know what you're doing you do not run into that kind of thing. But that's from the judges and prosecutors in a relatively big city. Now if you are rocking locks in podunk county, that's another story. But here in the South you have to worry about grief from your Af. Am clients, or Latino clients if you don't live up to their standards. I got plenty of grief as a clerk from many folks throughout the legal establishment, but the worst came from my own.

But if you're thinking corporate law, you have some other considerations. The worst part about corporate America is whenever the put out some qualifications for a job, the always add extra qualifications at the end. Sure you have an engineering degree, but would you fit into the corporate culture. I've seen this happen at a chip maker when I was clerking in HR.

Your second problem is you want to work for white folks. There are some degrees that allow you the freedom(?) to work for yourself. If you want to be an ad exec or a petroleum engineer, well you might as well move to the suburbs and start voting for school vouchers. But as an attorney, a doctor, small business person, you can be your own boss. Having worked for 3 african american and one Latino attorney showed me the light. They call the shots, they write the checks, and they take home the big payoff's.

peace
k. orr

I'm locking my hair now, and I'll be damned if I'm cutting em, period...the face of corporate america is white, puffy, reddish and male...can that accepted fcae change, sure, in individual cases...there was an instance in HTown a while back, a brother came in with locks, and some how find out the reason he didn't get the position was his hair...and in the trial that followed, the corporations decision was upheld as they didn't want someone coming in and disrupting their corporate culture...insitional racism..the ? is will you let that stop you in other words, amke the choice between fully expressing yourself and getting that good paying job....hmnmmm

Truthfully, I believe that I WILL eventually conform in order to succeed in my career choice.....But that isn't aiding the revoultion.....Damn..

It's a double-edges sword....Conform to the template image OR settle for corporate mediocrity.....

I desire to be am advocate for change, yet I'm afriad to trailblaze.....

What will it take??!?!

That is all...

That IM ish- AmAsIWas

"Froctember" is a Month That Doesn't Exist
_____________________________________

"9096362586928736086876"- My calculator

"(Wind Wind)"- Bin

"I dilute my orange juice"- Sunshine

"Mal!!"- Ricky

"Babushka"- Sunshine

Radiohead- "Kid A"- October 3, 2000.....LET THE EXCITEMENT CONSUME YOU!!!!!!

the easy answer is to go off and make your own, but its DEF. not the easy answer (feel me?)

Why does cutting your hair mean that you can't be "down for the cause", whatever the "cause" is? I say go for it and be a part of corporate culture. Big business needs more ethical people working in it's ranks, and I think alot of those ethics leave when they are faced with the choice that you are now pondering.

Just another little something to think about.

----------------------------------------
Not every end is a goal. The end of a melody is not its goal; however, if the melody has not reached its end, it would also not have reached its goal. A parable.
--Nietzsche

I thought the majority of the cats that attend HBCUs had the entreprenural spirit and wanted to do they own shit?

Guessed wrong.

Anyways, i cut my locks this past April just so that I could work this internship in Educational Admin. The reason being is because I am going to need this experience further down the line because my major is not education. ya follow? Law is more lieral when it comes to headress and styles. Most importantly because, you'll be based on performance and not appearance. hell, if you can back it up, they shouldn't come down on you because of ya hairstyle in the first place!!!

My mentor told me that once you become "untouchable" (meaning that you were GOOD at what you did), growing dreads would symbolize your achievements. Grow ya dreads mane!!! if these mu'fuckas wanna be on some bitch shit and deny you opportunity because of ya hairstylelet it be their loss.


____________________________________________
Marinate on that!!!!!!!!!!!


Ju-LIE QUOTATION for the Week************************


"Can't You See" was our biggest hit. All because of Biggie!!!
-----kec(Pam)

Rock the locks.
F&^K everyone else.
Yes their paying your bills but are they giving you a new soul to go with it.

I'm in Corporate America (Financial Institution) and as much as it kills my boss (a white woman) finally talked me into getting my hair wet. As much as I contemplated it myself I always had the voice of my mother saying "ain't nobody going to give you no job with your hair like that." So I never thought to come to work like that maybe weekends but not 40 hours a week where I spend 50% of my life.(hmmm that just ain't right) She just kept asking me what my hair looked like when it was natural and my reply was "curly" hahah knowing nappy and curly just ain't the same thing. But anyways I would have to say it was the best decision of my life. My hair happens to be an vital extension of the rest of my body. Me stressn't it out all the time with hot combs and curlers was stressn' me out. Now I feel free to say and do what I feel and to stand up to the comments and stares. I won't change back. (never say never) Though the only bad comments I have really received were from my family. They are sure that I must be on something for real because I'm just not as pretty anymore. The older you get the more you find your true self and the harder it is to leave him/her.

I have to admit for me the Corporate is not where I want to be or stay but it is educating me. I will have my own corporate america will have to deal with all the "ethnicity" I bring. My hair happens to be my artistic expression I even rock the corn rolls, and bamboo knots at works (with all the ohhhs and ahhhs). I could write or do my photography without every bit of me being true to my self.

So... much luck to you in your quest. Stay true to yourself. All else will come.-me

Peace and Blessings

i hate to admit this, but i've had a natural for about eight no...nine... years....

when i got out of college my mom did the same thing to me...
she came down real hard on my hair...
she kept telling me... no one will hire you with that hair...
you need to do something about your hair...

i told her... i'm not putting any chemical in it... i'm not perming it... i'm not extentioning/braiding it...
i'm gone wash. twist. or blow it out. but it will all be mine....

well, the day before my interview... (i feel slimy typing this) she bought me a wig...yuck...
i felt like shit...
i really did...
well. i wore it for about three months and then i took it off.
then i went back to froing, fluffying, twisting, and whatever else i wanted to do to my hair...

i even wear headwraps... you should see the reaction i get at work for that one...

the point... i felt better when i did what i wanted to do...

and now i got a new job that says CASUAL dress...
sista' gurl is gon' be rocking the true hair style just as soon as my hair gets longer again...


peace...
it's up to you in the end...

I hate to sound hastle about the situation but my thing is this. I work in corporate amerikkka and my hair is au natural. I rock braids, and wear ethnic jewelry and clothes and I ain't compromising sh*t. I neva have so far and God willing I neva will have to.

I realize we'll do whateva we got to do for a job (cause were getting money that we need to survive), but your not getting paid on how you look (you would if your a model). What I'm trying to say is that no job, is worth having if you have to compromise your expression of self. That just takes away from you and who you are and what you stand for.

I've heard it said that the way you wear your hair and the type of clothes you wear don't make who you are, but its the principle of the whole thing.
No one should be able to dictate who you are or tell you what you should be. Compromising yourself for some people who don't give dog poop about you is sick to me.




"Find Heaven in yourself and God"-Common

"Don't sweat the next man, do what you do best."-DJ Premier


**TheGoldenChild**

I think it depends on what industry you're in. I'm in IT and most people (including senior management) are relatively young so they can deal with hairstyle changes. I imagine being in a predominantly older industry would be different 'cause the management will be in or near their 60's and would probably consider it "unprofessional". I say do what you have to do so you can get where you want to be. I'm putting up with it for now (though I don't want to) only because I know I'll get where I wanna be and will retire as early as possible. It's a small sacrifice. I refuse to work all my life like my parents have. There's more to life than that.

just my thoughts...

it's funny that hair is really a political statement now.......specifically "natural" styles. but you must remember the basis for corporate America is based on money and the power. Power over the public as well as the workers. don't let the changing times fool you, the underbelly of the beast is control.

_______________________________
Celebrating Bitch Month!:o

23july2000
u can't have my fire/they fear'd ur flame/& so sprayed caustic foam out of dbl sided lips/speakin like pale faces
w/broken peace pipes/U BLK/U UGLY/U
INK SPOT/which in it's translation of nigganglish resounded to/I AM BLK/
I AM UGLY/I DON'T HAVE IT SO I CAN'T WANNA LOVE U/beautiful transcriptionist u are...dark elegy/that heightens midnight stars/which pale in daylight
u spot of convection.../u say fierce real slow & be sayin "fire"/turn ur faces now to ur bricked bahamanian sphinx/look at her in ur wanton NEED
to be DARK as the meetin of mary's thighs/to be as BLK as sun spots
as UGLY as her heretofore eradicated nose/LOOK!!! at that blk girl gone blk
gone blue beyond blue beyond u
lookit fire y'all... leavin them w/burnt faces -k l moore
one...- the bad bitch asighn4jane

"respect my genius, suck my penius!" - young isa/my dawg

"respect my month or lick my rump!":o-fire da BITCH

>I will be completing my undergraduate
>study in two years and
>proceeding to law school....Each day
>I ponder how I will
>nearly be coerced to cut
>my hair to be "accepted"
>in the legal field...

What you need to do is move into the high-tech sector.

It doesn't matter what race you are...it's anything goes. I shave once a week...and I know people with really ugly goofy long hair who are actually rising stars in their respective workplaces. I remember seeing one guy at Nortel with big-ass dreads...

In law, accounting, and some of the downtown financial establishments...they seem to be a million times more anal about appearence...there, you must wear a suit, tie...the whole nine yards. My buddy forgot to shave one night...and his boss actually mentioned...hey buddy...did you lose your razor this morning.

>So I ask...Do you think the
>"face" of the corporate world
>bears the ability to change
>within the next 5 to
>10 years??

I think the high-tech sector is causing things to change a lot...where I work, the only person I've seen in a shirt and tie was the executive vice president of my division...the only time ANYONE (i.e. directors, VPs, managers, collegues) in my company has ever worn a suit is for the Christmas party.

And yes, I saw someone from upper management with his hair in a pony-tail...wearing jeans and a Hawaiian shirt in this one meeting...looking like he just crawled out of bed.

I think the whole "business casual" concept is really starting to change the way people dress and even look in the corporate world...times are changing if you ask me.

Sean.

Sean Flynn - longtime poster of rec.music.hip-hop
http://www.sandboxmassive.com - Updated Rarely
Resident of Ottawa, Ontario (located in Canada for the geographically challenged)

i work(ed) for david, shapiro and lewitt, music law firm~~~ 5th ave. nyc~~~ while there, my hair was permed and my hair is mid-back, so my boss had no problems. i came in one day w/ these "wild twists" which i am currently still wearing, and my boss complimented me on them to my surprise~~~ fast forward 3 weeks, i accept a job offer @ the national mintority supplier development council, on the ave of the americas. here, im w/ all blks and latinos, mostly female. anyway, my 3 rd day on the job i wear my twists, and everyone flips out b/c of my lack of professionalism, my boss even went as far to say that "nappy is not in here." a bit dismayed~~~~~~ b/c one, im not perming my hair any damn more, and two, rnt these supposed to be my ppl? i left that job as well~~~ i myself am a pol/sci pre-law dble mjr and i will say, that im sorry, my twists rnt going anywhere, my earrings rnt going anywhere, and im not putting on make-up to please anyone. it is sad that u haveta be "radical" to want to wear ur hair as u damned well please. and whats even more sad, is that so many qualified ppl r missing opportunities b/c of the ignorance of other ppl.

***

i hear you!!!!


that's why i know our hair is political because our "own" give us such a hard time about it....
that makes it political....

keep on doin' you do!!!!

Do you think you get more backlash for your own people? You expect your own people to be more excepting and to be on guard in front of everyone else. I find most times its the opposite. Why do you think?