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1 Bus. Entrepreneurship & Tax L. Rev. 521 (2017)
Are My Cornrows Unprofessional: Title VII's Narrow Application of Grooming Policies, and Its Effect on Black Women's Natural Hair in the Workplace

handle is hein.journals/betr1 and id is 531 raw text is: Henson: Are My Cornrows Unprofessional? COMMENT Are My Cornrows Unprofessional?: TitleVIIws Narrow Application of Grooming Policies, and its Effect on Black Women s Natural Hair in the Workplace By Renee Henson* ABSTRACT Employer grooming policies are ubiquitous and apply to all in the work- place, however, the hair standards within these policies do not permit women to wear a rmyriad of ethnic hairstyles at work. Banning ethnic hair- styles like braids, cornrows, and dreadlocks adversely and disproportion- ally affects black women. Banning ethnic styles because they are deemed unprofessional forces many black women to spend inordinate amounts of money and time to ensure their hair is 'professional looking enough_ to attain gainful employment and climb the corporate ladder. This article ex- amines Title VII-s role in allowing this practice where black women are not permitted to wear their hair in styles that are often the most healthy and natural for their hair, and the legal freedom employers have to fire employ- ees for wearing dreadlocks, braids and twists with impunity. This article proposes several ways that Title VII s application to black hair texture and hairstyles could be improved. Published by University of Missouri School of Law Scholarship Repository, 201

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