Last week, the media outlets were abuzz with a Virginia news report that detailed Hampton University's business school bans male students from wearing cornrows and dreadlocks. This ban, which we note has been in place for the past 11 years, is designed to help students ensure corporate jobs. The recent report, and interview of current Hampton students has sparked a number of debates across social networks and the African-American community. How can a school ban hair styles for students? They should be able to wear their hair however they choose? Isn't that a freedom of expression? More importantly, shouldn't a student's work ethic and performance speak for them?
I've heard a number of arguments on either side of this. As a disclaimer, my opinion only. Here goes....In a perfect world, yes, everyone should be able to express themselves in whatever way they see fit (dress, hair, etc.). If you are talented, and can get the work done, that should be all that matters. However, we don't live in a perfect world. And the truth is that, the corporate world still dictates a lot of tradition that other sectors don't (i.e. engineering). Most corporate environments still require business/business casual attire. There may be a "casual Friday," but even that is TBD, based on whether that Friday requires any customer interaction.
The real truth, and this is where some may choose to not read, is that, as African-Americans, we still suffer from the black tax. When entering an environment where we don't call the shots, we have to not only play the game, but play it better than our counterparts to get in the door. Unfortunately, corporate America still isn't 100% ready to see the diverse style that we express.
In addition, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) still have an obligation to help students get from point A to point B. There are many students who come to college never owning a suit, not knowing how to "shift" between work and home environments, and who don't have good interview skills to even land a job. Unfortunately, students are judged before they are even contacted for an interview, based on their name, choice of institution, etc. Appearance then becomes another grounds for critique in this world.
It's imperative that HBCUs to do two things in the 21st century to prepare students:
1. Explain to students that current corporations and institutions require you to play the game. This means that, if you want a job on Wall St., you may have to change your appearance to get your foot in the door. Once you are IN, THEN you can become a change agent. However, you have to get in first. This is what Hampton's business school is currently teaching students. Nothing wrong with this, in my opinion. I require men in my class to remove their hats, else they are prohibited from entering class.Women have to come to class like they are dressed to learn, not hit the club. You can't show up to an interview like that and, contrary to what Allen Iverson thinks, you play how you practice. You can't show up for game day and think it all comes together without ever "talkin about PRACTICE."
2. If you don't like the rules, then you make your own. This means that you have to CREATE the opportunities for yourself. Start your own business, utilize your resources, network, and opportunities to build a brand and show that you are more than your hair, style, or degrees for that matter. Isn't this basically what 90% of Silicon Valley has done? Does anyone remember IBM in the 80s? Everyone wore a blue or black suit (male and female)...now look at Facebook,Google, Microsoft, and other companies. Casual is the norm. But that industry changed because people MADE it change. How does that happen in business? The same has to happen.
In order for that to happen, universities, particularly HBCUs, have to focus on teaching students BOTH sides of this argument. If you want to play in someone else's game, you have to play by their rules. That means conforming in some minds, but hey, you want to get in the game, those are the rules. If you don't want to do that, then you have to be willing to do your own thing. Doing that requires not only talent, but determination, dedication, and initiative. That has to be stressed throughout classrooms across the country. Brin and Page (Google), Zuckerburg (Facebook), and countless others didn't just do their work in the class and that was it. They dedicated countless hours outside of the classroom to honing their skills and building something they believed in, even when others told them they were insane. This has to happen across HBCUs across the country.
So, this isn't about what Hampton shouldn't have done. At the end of the day, it's a university, and a private on for that matter. They can, effectively, call the shots. Again, you have choices. If you don't like it, you have options. But we also have to make sure that we present students with BOTH sides of this game, and how critical it is to begin to produce more of the latter in order to effectively change the game.
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