Hair discrimination is common for Black people in our society. Black women often face criticism for wearing their hair in styles that are more closely associated with their culture, such as braids, locs and Afros. Many organizations are working to make people of color feel comfortable in wearing any hairstyle they choose.
Beauty brand Dove has partnered with professional network LinkedIn to increase awareness of African American hairstyles in professional spaces. Dove co-founded the CROWN coalition to advance anti-hair discrimination legislation called The CROWN Act. The CROWN Act prohibits discrimination against natural textures and hairstyles. According to Yahoo news, the campaign focuses on a study to analyze race-based hair bias in the workplace and how that affects the professional advancement of Black individuals.
Portraits of Black and Brown women have been shared across both company’s social media channels t0 emphasize versatility in corporate hairstyles. Other ways the initiative will have an impact is through:
Providing all LinkedIn users free access to 10 LinkedIn Learning Courses – The goal is to educate one million hiring managers and workplace professionals by the end of 2023. LinkedIn provides free courses about diversity recruiting, inclusive leadership, uncovering unconscious bias, and more to LinkedIn account holders.
Sharing the findings from the 2023 CROWN Research Study co-commissioned by Dove and LinkedIn – Hair discrimination continues to have a tangible impact on Black people in the professional world that this study’s findings will help dissect. They have published results linked to why Black women switch jobs because of their hair, having a negative experience with their hair in the workplace, and feeling pressure from hair discrimination.
Elevating and celebrating the real stories and voices of Black women professionals across the LinkedIn platform – To help redefine what society deeems “professional,” the hashtag #Blackhairisprofessional is encouraged to be used when sharing stories about experiences with hair discrimination or to join the conversation.
