Black Businesswoman Sitting at Her Desk
Race-based hair bias and discrimination has become a systemic problem in the workplace. Black women with curly or textured hair or hairstyles, including braids and bantu knots, are 2.5x more likely to be perceived as unprofessional.
While it might be an unconscious bias that most of us are unaware of, it impacts Black women’s opportunities and professional advancement.
Approximately 66% of Black women change their hair for a job interview, and 41% usually straighten their hair. 25% of Black women believe they have been denied a job interview because of their hair.
These feelings continue throughout the entire employee experience. They are more likely to experience microaggressions in the workplace compared to Black women with straighter hair. It’s reported that 20% of Black women aged 25-34 have been sent home from work because of their hair.
Despite having education and experience, these women may be held back in their careers, and experience imposter syndrome and the pet-to-threat phenomenon. This feeling of inadequacy and self-doubt makes them continuously doubt if they are qualified enough for the job. Hence, they tend to work long hours to prove themselves, are afraid to ask questions or ask for help, and may refrain from speaking up or asking for challenging jobs. As a result, they also have more anxiety, stress, and burnout.
That is why Dove co-founded the CROWN Coalition to advance anti-hair discrimination legislation called The CROWN Act, which prohibits hair discrimination. In addition, LinkedIn is partnering with Dove to offer information and promote free LinkedIn Learning Courses that support a more equitable and inclusive work environment for all LinkedIn users, with a goal to educate 1 million hiring managers and workplace professionals by the end of 2023.
Together, Dove and LinkedIn will:
- Provide all LinkedIn users free access to a suite of 10 LinkedIn Learning Courses.
- Share the findings from the 2023 CROWN Research Study co-commissioned by Dove and LinkedIn to drive urgency around the fact that hair discrimination continues to have a real and measurable adverse impact on Black women in the workplace. You can sign the petition here.
- Elevate and celebrate the real stories and voices of Black women professionals across the LinkedIn platform to help redefine what society declares “professional” for the workplace.
Leaders can support this effort by acknowledging the bias, offering in-company training and supporting black women with mentoring, sponsorship and self-confidence coaching.
