Human Interest
Ladies....Black hair and corporate America, let's talk about it. We know this subject all too well, often with just a simple look.
Immediately, I think back to a conversation I had with a guy friend. He's an attorney with a love for only black women, and he loves everything that uniquely makes up the black woman, namely cornrows or box braids. He would often go to his multi-million dollar office, and look out to his multi-million dollar view, and actually try to count the black women at his law firm who would rock either style--ultimately just to be discouraged when realizing that euro-capitalism dictated that decision for us. Needless to say, he never found any.
I would often say, "We can't wear braids!"--which in hindsight, disgusted me for subscribing to these ideologies. My attorney friend asked, "Well, why not?"
And, while fumbling over my own words in an effort to explain, it dawned on me, "Yeah, why not?!"
This newfound liberation has been translating across many industries for the past few years, (even forcing new laws to pass) with many going viral by those who work in media—an industry where black women are often minimized. And thankfully, newscasters are collectively showing off their best representation of the versatility of our hair, even catapulting the hashtag #NaturalHairOnAir (which we love to see).
Like, Samaria Terry, who uploaded this picture to Instagram, complete with a caption we all knew too well:
Terry, a weekend sports anchor in Memphis, captioned the photo, "Mustered up the courage to rock braids on air!" With it, she sent the world wide web in a frenzy. Mainly because we understood, without her having to say much at all.
Or Lena Pringle, who boldly went short, and had the last laugh:
Pringle, of Jacksonville, FL, has sported a short, natural hairstyle since 2018, but this is the shortest she has ever gone. She decided to try out the chic style to boost her mood.
Or Tashara Parker, who got America together when they came for her buns:
Parker, of Dallas, TX, has always unapologetically worn natural styles, and will get you together if you have any problems with it.
There's Candace Coleman, who proudly sports her sisterlocks:
Candace Coleman, of Jackson, MS, took her first work headshots with her new, natural style, complete with a beat face, and a money-manifesting green dress.
And Demetria Obilor, who has happily made the non-tolerant uncomfortable for years:
Demetria Obilor of Dallas, TX, who, when she was a newscaster (Tashara Parker is now in her place) brought her blacknesssss to. the. set, m'kay?! She's openly who she is in her skin, and hair, and she doesn't care that you don't like it. We stan.
More and more Black news anchors are pushing for hair diversity and rejecting the old rules of broadcast journalism by wearing their hair on their own terms. Here's to normalizing our hair, as is, and not giving af who doesn't like it.
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Featured image by Demetria Oblilor, Lena Pringle, Samaria Terry/Instagram
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