Wanted: Professional Women with Natural Hair

As I mentioned in my "Good Hair" post, I was not happy with the way women - natural, permed, weaved or otherwise - were portrayed. But there was one segment in particular that bothered me. Recall the scene where the high school girls discussed their thoughts on professionalism. All of the relaxed girls told their natural friend that while her afro was 'cute' she'd never get a job in Corporate America because it wasn't professional enough. As a 40-year-old woman who has worked in Corporate America all of my professional life - I know this is a legitimate concern. Especially in more conservative industries. It was only just a couple of years ago that a Glamour magazine staffer addressed a group of female lawyers on corporate style and told them natural hair was definitely a "glamour don't." That staffer no longer works at Glamour. But she's not alone - both whites and blacks agree. I struggled with it as I debated the pros and cons of going natural. So I wasn't surprised by the girls' position in the movie. But what shook me to my core was how the natural girl just sat there and said nothing to rebut the attack. She reluctantly nodded her head in agreement and owned the 'unprofessional' label . I felt SO bad for her. I wanted to rescue her and tell her to say, "Not professional? Well how do you explain Ursula Burns, the first black female CEO at Xerox, or Constance White, Style Director at EBay?" I wanted to rattle off at least five more. But I couldn't. Not without doing some research. So that's what I'm going to do! With that, my feature segment on professional women with natural hair is born - featuring YOU! Give me a minute to think of some good questions. If you have suggestions, please post them in the comments. Once I get the format worked out, I'll solicit submissions from readers. I'm counting on my friends to participate as well (Wendy, Kim, Peggy, Michelle, Ingrid, Stacey ... yes I am talking about you). So professional ladies, start taking some pictures in your work clothes and office if you can. Let's show everyone that natural hair can be professional and women who choose to do so ARE successful in their fields.