Mastering Matters of the Mane

Abstract

Women of color have moved into professional roles to become engineers, lawyers, scientists, pilots, politicians, doctors, and professors. Despite the increase of women in professional settings, their proficiency has been put to the test. How Black women choose to wear their hair is a simple but significant phenomenon. Too often, women of color sacrifice their hairstyle to assimilate into their profession. Diversity among members in professional organizations might be advanced as the goal. With this socialized preference towards mainstream congruence, Black women have had to conform to the majority White society. This chapter looks at a professional woman of color, and her life-long journey to determine her hair as a significant part of her identity. Through a reflection on the author's hair life, this chapter discusses how imagery, mainstream culture, biases and expectations have played into her professional life. This chapter also discusses how future generations of professional women of color see contemporary accomplished women, and how they expect the world will see them.