Will My Dreadlocks Bar Me From Work?
posted by Ja'Shawn Steward-Johnson | October 19, 2016 | In NewsThe 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that it is legal for companies and corporations to ban people from wearing dreadlock. This decision ultimately allows companies to deny someone a job because of their dreadlocks. This ruling will undoubtedly have an effect on a lot African-American males and females as they enter the workforce and enter their preferred career fields.
In 2010, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against a company called Catastrophe Management Solutions after a black woman, with dreadlocks, had her job offer pulled from her when the company noticed her hairstyle. Dreadlocks were against the company grooming policy and, according to NBC News, an HR manager for the company was quoted as saying “They tend to get messy, although I’m not saying yours are, but you know what I’m talking about.”
The woman was given the option of cutting her dreadlocks to meet the company’s compliance, which she refused to do, and ultimately resulted in the company rescinding their offer.
The EEOC filed the lawsuit under the belief that denying the woman a job because of her dreadlocks was racial discrimination and a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964s Title VII, as dreadlocks have been historically used to negatively stereotype African-Americans. However, the court of appeals disagreed in a 3-0 decision, ruling that the company’s “race-neutral grooming policy” was not discriminatory since hairstyles, while “culturally associated with race,” are not “immutable physical characteristics.” This basically means that because a hairstyle is able to be changed, the trait is not protected under Title VII and can be used to deny job offers.
It is a shame that in 2016, dreadlocks are still being looked down upon with negative connotations.
Malik “Simba” Francis is a junior here at Fayetteville State University and he has been growing his dreadlocks for six years.
“If anything, having dreadlocks should be a positive thing, taking the time to grow dreadlocks probably means that you are committed, dedicated, and patient. Those are three great qualities that everybody wants,” he stated.
As you look around many college campuses, and especially HBCUs, you will find plenty of African American men and women with dreadlocks who dream of becoming future doctors, lawyers, and politicians. These types of bans have not only been in the workforce; several schools have also instituted policies banning certain ethnic hairstyles, such as dreadlocks and cornrows. This ruling is just another bleak reminder that being a black person in America is not ideal.
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