Hair today ... unemployed tomorrow?
Here's how our sister newspaper, the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, weighed in on Hampton University's grooming policy for its business administration students.
The issue resurfaced recently when Essence Magazine Editorial Direcotor Susan Taylor, who wears braids, rejected a speaking invitation from the school when she got wind of the policy. I initially blogged on the topic last week.
This editorial was published on Jan. 25 in Norfolk.
It's a fact of the working world: Ability matters more than hairstyle.
But show up for a serious job interview with carrot-orange dreadlocks and chances are you won't even make the cut.
That's why Hampton University is trying to prepare its business tudents to stand head and shoulders above their peers, by instructing them on the do's and don'ts of corporate dress.
Amid some predictable grumbling, students in the school's five-year business administration program must now wear conservative hairstyles and dress to weekly receptions with business leaders.
That means cornrows are out. So are long dreads, male earrings, droopy drawers and hair colors not found in nature. Suits and ties are encouraged for men, suit-type skirts are recommended for women.
The inevitable complaints have already begun. Some students and their supporters believe they should be allowed to wear what they like while in college.
And so they can. But if they choose to participate in H.U.'s business administration program, they’re obliged to follow its rules. And as a private university, Hampton can set whatever guidelines it sees fit. It's the same in business as it is in business school.
Students need to realize that, just as they have freedom to dress as they please, companies have freedom to hire as they please. While the more creative occupations, such as advertising, entertainment and fashion, allow more leeway in dress and hair, they're the exceptions, not the rule.
By instituting dress and grooming codes once a week, H.U. is giving its business students the best kind of practical instruction. Better trim your hair now than be trimmed from the work force later.
Comments (4)
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Though I believe that the work world should come around to the belief that traditional hair styles and clothing don't guarantee an outstanding employee, this latest article helps me to see Hampton's message more clearly. It reminds me of growing up Black and in the 50's and though Black parents knew their children were good enough to drink out of Whites only fountains and go into those restrooms, they would scare you to death and punish you if you mistakenly used Whites only facilities. It's all about knowing what you MUST do to survive in the "real" world.
Posted on April 27, 2006 9:41 PM
Mr. Johnson, Speaking of appearance, I really like your new picture in the paper. You have a bit of a mischievous look about you that made me think that perhaps you have been misleading us all with your serious blogs all this time. Bringing up controversial subjects just to get your readers stirred up possibly?
Posted on April 28, 2006 12:02 PM
Mr. Johnson,
Please check your facts on this issue....this is not a new policy at HU and other MEAC/HBC have had similiar rules for their business school students. The real issue with is more about professional attire vs hair. Please see comments below from the Dean of the B-School in responding to alum on this matter:
An HU alum wrote the business school dean. Here is his response. The dean's name is Sid Credle.
Shannon:
It is unfortunate that this image issue has just kept going, going and going. Maybe, if you had the background it would allow you and others enough information to respond to some erroneous information currently floating around.
The image and attire rule of the 5yr-MBA program was put into place during fall 2000. It is six years old. Two to three students over the past 6 years have had a problem with the hair policy and have selected to change their major, perform other assignments or cut their hair. The program has grown from 58 to 150 students in the pass 6 years. It has been a real success (we place 22 year olds into $85k jobs). Recently, one student with "buckwheat" braids went to the AP and complained about the policy, indicating that the University was disrespecting him (or something of that nature). Students of the program are of the belief that "Buckwheat" intended to either get his way or destroy the program for all students. I never spoke to the AP regarding this issue. My comments were as a result of a Virginia Pilot article in response to the student's complaint. In any case, this issue is really a dialogue between black male students and black male faculty and has little to do with women's hair styles. Although there has been an effort to make it a women's issue, it is not from my point of view. We have not had a problem with women students and the image code. Although there has also been an attempt to make it so, this is not a black or white issue either.
Whether a black male has a Colin Powell hairstyle or Bob Marley style dreads, has nothing to do with his blackness. For example: actress Bo Derek in the movie "Ten", popularized the shoulder length braid look....does that mean that an African-American women who wears them is attempting to assimilate into a white cultural mirror of West Indian culture?
In any case, students are required to maintain the dress/image code when attending a 45 minute executive seminar held on Wednesdays. The model that we are using reinforces the power of unity each week over a five-year period. There is nothing more inspiring then seeing 150 smartly dressed 18-22 year olds, engaged in dialogue with the senior Vice President of a major corporation. Students are aware that the only way to distinguish themselves in the seminar setting is by performance (and not by how they look, or what they are wearing or the length of their hair). A speaker's training event is held on Monday, which is business casual. The primary goal is to allow students time to acclimate to the style they will be involved in at the highest executive level in the corporation, firm or agency. The policy is in writing and students, faculty and their parents find it to be reasonable. Students select into the program and are aware of the policy going into the program.
We are establishing a brand that includes a curriculum with 5 courses in engineering, 6 in accounting, a 44 hour business core, tennis, golf, chess analysis, two required internships and the martial arts. We have had 28 graduates with 100% high level corporate or firm placement. Note that we have not changed the style of the students of this program. They are the sons and daughters of corporate executives, generals and other professionals who are already aware, and are representatives of, and partial creators of, the model. We are talking about serious students (and it helps that they have a Bob Johnson, Malcolm X, Mandela, Martin Luther King or Charles Drew hairstyle). Don't get me wrong, the Don King, Bo Derek or Rick James look, is fine if you are in the field of fine arts, music, journalism, computer science, entertainment or sports. It is just inappropriate for the higher levels of business. The founding students of the program had significant input into the creation of the image and dress code. The founding group of students Fall, 2000 can be found on our website. .
Over the years, we have prepared the research on the issue of image and attire and are of the belief that we are doing the correct thing. Our policy is based on knowledge and is not arbitrary. We reviewed business leaders as noted in Black Enterprise's Top African-American 75 corporate executives, the Top 50 African-American lawyers, 50 top African-American Corporate Women, and the top 50 African-American Sport Agents. The evidence indicates that all are conservatively dressed and none have extreme hair styles. We recently had a career fair on campus with approximately 200 representatives of 100 corporations, firms and agencies. Ninety five percent of these representatives were black. None had extreme hair; and all were conservatively dressed. Armed with such information from those black men and women who have paid dues for more than 25-30 years, it is only appropriate that we distribute the information to the next generation. The mission is to distribute relevant business education. Name one black male or female who is a senior vice president or above, with dreads, cornrows or braids.
This is the true black code. Our students and the parents of our students appreciate this and understand exactly what we are doing, and why.
Posted on May 8, 2006 12:49 AM
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Posted on November 7, 2006 11:42 AM