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Lady-Seashell-Bikini t1_j6de2o1 wrote

Reply to comment by RichElectrolyte in Black and Hispanic hairdressers are exposed to a complex mixture of chemicals, many of them unknown, potentially hazardous, and undisclosed on product labels, researchers report. There are more than 700,000 hairdressers in the United States, more than 90% of whom are estimated to be women. by MistWeaver80

Society will need to stop forcing European beauty standards first, especially hiring managers. I promise that the culture of using relaxers didn't pop out of a vacuum.

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RichElectrolyte t1_j6djmts wrote

Sure, but it's not 1950 anymore. Show me a corporate work space that hires white people with dreadlocks and I'll show you 50 with black people sporting dreads.

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Lady-Seashell-Bikini t1_j6drs2d wrote

No, but hair discrimination STILL EXISTS today. Did you know that only 14 states in the US have laws (often known as the CROWN Act) that officially ban discrimination against natural hairstyles and 15 more are even considering passing CROWN Act legislation?

Even then, unconscious bias is still going to exist. There are still going to be hiring managers who don't perceive natural hair in Black women as being "professional" or even attractive. That is going to influence who they hire and they may pass a Black woman with natural hair for a Black woman with chemically straightened hair.

Our actions don't exist in a vacuum, and you cannot pretend that there will be no residual effects from centuries of discrimination just because legislation is passed.

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RichElectrolyte t1_j6duy3l wrote

Yes, I know all this. I just don't think conforming is going to cure it ESPECIALLY in this day and age when things like the CROWN Act exists. I also think it needs to extend to everyone. So many jobs will discriminate against men with long hair for example. But you're right, even then people will still be bias and hair discrimination is hard to prove unless they specifically mention it. The only true way to solve this would be "blind" hiring, where employers don't see what the candidate looks like. I believe orchestras already do this because the bias against female performers is so heavy.

I also don't think the ONLY reason people use relaxers and whatnot is for jobs. The entire expectation to conform should be shunned imo

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Lady-Seashell-Bikini t1_j6dy8ft wrote

You seem to not have read my entire comment. CROWN Acts only exist in 14 states, meaning most of the country can still discriminate based on hair. Try again.

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