The Problem Managers and other individuals in the workplace may have a bias, either conscious or unconscious, against Black women based on their appearance. Since slavery, Black people with lighter skin complexion and straighter hair have been given preferences and privileges not afforded Black people with darker skin or those with naturally kinky hair. This study brings this subtle form of discrimination to the attention of Human Resource Development professionals and sheds light on how such interactions may affect their learning, development, and performance. The Solution Using a critical Human Resource Development lens, we suggest that managers, organizational leaders, and decision-makers are educated to recognize and address hair bias. Leaders must ensure compliance with the CROWN Act and legislation that prohibits discrimination against natural and protective hairstyles. The Stakeholders Stakeholders include U. S. Human Resource Development professionals, hiring managers, recruiters, and leaders who are concerned with hiring and promoting diverse talent.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.