Dove Partners LinkedIn To Combat Race-Based Hair Discrimination At Work
Business platform LinkedIn has joined Dove in the charge to end race-based hair discrimination in the United States, hoping to create equal access to economic opportunity for all professionals in the nation.
The beauty brand has long championed The CROWN Act, since enacted in certain states, which prohibits companies from sanctioning employees and students based on hair texture or protective hairstyles often worn by Black people, including braids, locs, twists, or bantu knots.
While the message has spread, there is still work to be done, as the New CROWN 2023 Workplace Research Study showed that till now, Black women’s hairstyles are two and a half times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional by employers.
This issue seems to be so deeply embedded that two-thirds of survey respondents admitted to changing their hair for a job interview, with 41% opting to go from naturally curly hair to straight instead. In fact, 54% said they felt straight hair granted them a more successful meeting.
Furthermore, hair discrimination doesn’t stop at interviews, as Black women with coily or textured tresses are twice as likely to experience microaggressions in the workplace, and over 20% of those aged 25 to 34 have been sent home from work due to their hairstyles.
Dove and LinkedIn are collaborating on a series of actions that will hopefully begin the end of race-based hair discrimination, such as by providing firms with courses on creating a more inclusive workplace, and spotlighting the adverse impact the bias has on Black women.
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In addition, Black professionals will be highlighted across LinkedIn and social media platforms to help the country redefine just exactly what “professional” at work means. If you’ve yet to sign The CROWN Act, head over to the petition to pledge your support to the initiative.
“While talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not. Cultural identifiers, like hair, are not determining factors for someone’s skills or experience, and no one should be denied employment opportunities or professional advancement because of their hair,” concluded Rosanna Durruthy, Durruthy, Global Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at LinkedIn.
[via LBB Online and Dove / PR Newswire, cover image via Dove / The CROWN Act]
