Black women with natural hairstyles including curly afros, twists or braids are less likely to get job interviews than White women or Black women with straightened hair, new research shows.
Participants in the studies, carried out by researchers from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, perceived natural Black hairstyles as less professional, and the effect was particularly pronounced in industries where a more conservative appearance is common.
The research, which will be published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science next week, shows how societal biases perpetuate racial discrimination in the workplace, according to a press release.
“In the aftermath of the George Floyd murder and the corresponding protests, many organizations have rightly focused on tactics to help eradicate racism at systemic and structural levels,” researcher Ashleigh Shelby Rosette, a management professor and a senior associate dean, said in the press release.
“But our individually held biases often precede the type of racist practices that become embedded and normalized within organizations,” she added.
Source: CNN
