Activist Photo Assignment

For as long as I can remember, I've been getting box braids and pressed buns in my hair throughout my “growing up” years. These protective hairstyles allowed me to wear my hair naturally, but growing up especially in school I noticed my natural hair was seen negatively. Questions from “why don’t you wear your hair like mine?” to deliberately touching my natural hair are a few of the misfortunes I and many other people have had to experience.   

The policing of women’s hairstyles is nothing new. More and more, women of different ethnic backgrounds with different hairstyles are facing scrutiny in the job employment world. Many women are forced to choose between their natural hair and their jobs. The standard of beauty or what is considered appropriate hair to wear when going to some job interviews is the straighter Western European look. Plenty of women have been asked to wear their hair differently or have been completely denied a job because they choose to wear their hair either naturally or in a protective style that suits their ethnic hair. We do not have the privilege of our hair not making radical statements as it unfortunately did for celebrities such as Zendaya and Solange Knowles. The problem is that when you’re focusing on a women’s appearance you are taking away from their accomplishments, professionalism, and experience.

These women in the picture above are fighting these societal views by choosing to wear their hair naturally or a way that fits best with their hair type and personality. 

-Sava Gidey