Unlikely Discrimination: The Tribulations of Textured Hair
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My first college job was working as a receptionist at a hair salon. Sitting at the front desk while clients came in to get their hair done was very interesting to me. I remember it clear as day when one morning a black woman walked in the front doors. Instantly, it hit me that I did not know what products or services would best suit her hair type. A stylist came to the front and tried to help give some guidance as to what her hair needs were, but that ultimately resulted in us referring the woman to a different salon that catered to clients with textured hair. Why are many salons still exclusive, unintentionally or not, of ethnic hair? Many of my former coworkers and I have close relationships with members of the black community and strive to bring awareness and change to the racism, microaggressions, and inequalities that our black friends experience daily. So, why does the hair industry still have yet to catch up to that mission?
The services and specialties that are offered at salons directly correlate with the education a team of stylists brings to the table. Washing, blow-drying, hair dyeing, haircutting, and more are few among many of the basic skills that beauty schools teach. The education provided in schools today tends to focus more on applying those skills to Caucasian hair, even if the skills are not directly translatable to black hair. For example, haircutting techniques should be modified based on how curly or textured a person’s hair is. Beauty schools do not always go in depth about how to properly work with black hair; this is because many states’ cosmetology school instruction standards do not specify a mastery of black hair care.
If you have spent any time in a classroom, you know that throughout the years the education system has shifted priority towards test scores. Schools tend to focus on instructing whatever will help students fulfill a mandate, and this does not exclude the beauty industry. Many beauty schools only aim to educate students enough to help them achieve a passing score on the state test. In Tennessee, cosmetologists must pass the state test and complete 1,500 hours of instruction at a qualified institution. The 1,500 hours covers content such as salon sanitation and business formalities, the science behind chemically altering and dyeing hair, and the physical ways to maintain hair through methods such as shampooing and conditioning, scalp care, and hair styling. There is little to no indication within the state standards that specifies if any of this instruction should pertain to textured hair. A couple of my former coworkers mentioned that they were not taught in beauty school how to effectively care for afro-textured hair; oftentimes a unit encompassing curl care is included, but brief.
Without specific requirements to learn about textured hair, it perpetuates eurocentric beauty standards of preference towards smooth, straight, light-colored hair. Hair that is naturally straight, or even slightly wavy, is deemed as “more kept” than natural afro-textured hair in some professional and school settings. Many considerably successful stylists know little to nothing about ethnic hair or how to style it without adding chemical relaxers that can harmfully tame curls. Some salons charge more to work with afro-textured hair because it requires more time and care; while this might make some sense, it is exclusive in the same way that clothing stores should not charge extra for larger sizes. Just like size inclusivity is important, hair inclusivity is too.
Cosmetology schools should include instruction on hair of all types to ensure that guests feel represented, seen, and valued as clients and people. In Chattanooga, almost one-third of the population is black; one should not receive the credentials as a “general cosmetologist” if they are unable to serve one-third of the general public. Stylists should not have to attend additional classes or sign up for extra sessions to learn how to care for hair that belongs to such a vast number of people. People who have hair that is naturally curlier, puffier, or frizzier should not be attributed to a category of having “messy hair” just because it isn’t heat-styled.
At the end of the day, we have to push for change in the hair industry and hold our stylists and salons to higher, more inclusive standards. Educators need to push for a more specific curriculum to ethnic hair care. Stylists need to take extra steps to ensure that they’re learning about and embracing textured hair. The public needs to push for social and legal acceptance of natural ethnic hair whether it looks “tamed” or not. The CROWN Act has gathered a lot of attention as it was introduced to prohibit hair discrimination; while it was passed by several states and the House of Representatives, it was unfortunately did not make it past the Senate. It is up to us to ensure that afro-textured hair is included, welcomed, and celebrated. Black hair is beautiful and deserves to be treated as such!
Strike Out,
Writer: Faye Collins
Editor: Susanna Skelton
Chattanooga
