Hair and the Hype: What We Really Should Learn from the Hampton Hair Debate

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.

What Every College Student Should Do Over the Holiday Break

The holiday break is upon us! The hallways at work are becoming a ghost town, as students complete final exams and pack up for the month-long holiday break.

For most of you, this is a great time to relax, detox, and enjoy family and friends.  However, I've seen one too many student return in January and you would think they never passed a course or worse, never took one. To circumvent this all too annoying amnesia that falls upon so many college students, there are a few things that EVERY student should do over the holiday break to help prepare them for the next semester and for the rest of their college experience:

1. Review material from any courses you completed this semester. The Internet, more importantly Google, Wolfram Alpha, and the likes have completely dumbed down our society and students. Too often, students try to remember just enough information to get through the class. Once the semester is over, they toss it in the garbage can, never to be used again...so they think. The problem is, the course you enrolled in for the spring semester (and subsequent years) is building upon that course that you just barely passed because you really didn't understand the material. And here is another news flash, you actually need to UNDERSTAND the material in your classes. Review any concepts that were difficult, find additional information that will help reinforce your learning. You WILL see the material again..trust me.

2. Get caught up on current events. This will help you identify a number of things of importance to you, including student loan regulations, healthcare extensions for dependents up to age 25, job outlooks, and more. In addition, a potential employer or graduate school could ask you a question about current events. You don't want to become a deer in headlights. More importantly, you want to be a well-rounded individual who has more to talk about than last night's episode of "X Factor."

3. Update your resume. Your resume is a working document. It should be continuously updated with new awards, scholarships, leadership positions, extracurricular activities, and relevant courses each semester. Keep this current. You never know when you will have to submit it for an internship or job opportunity.

4. Review your plan of study. There is nothing worse than a senior in a professor's office 2 weeks before graduation crying because he/she didn't complete all the necessary courses or receive the appropriate grades to graduate. If you are consistently reviewing this each semester, then there are no surprises at the end. In addition, you can update your registration for the spring semester, to retake any courses or ensure you are on track to graduate on time.

5. Search for financial aid. Unless you have a 0 balance (meaning no student loans), you should apply for scholarships and grants to help towards your college expenses. Just because you took out student loans doesn't mean you can't apply for scholarships and grants. Apply, apply, APPLY. And ask professors BEFORE you leave for the break to write recommendations. We disappear just like you do (usually).

You may think this is a lot but, trust me..it's not..my Christmas break will be spent getting caught up on work. Somehow it's the only time I can actually stay head down enough to get work done. You have MORE than enough time to dedicate a few hours a day to these activities and still completely enjoy your time off. And remember, you want to always be a step ahead of the rest. The only way to do that is to always stay prepared. Remember, if you stay ready, you won't have to get ready...


Looking for more info? Check me out at Prepped for Success!

Computer Science for Middle School Students???

This is my 6th year as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Systems and Computer Science at Howard University. We have a great relationship with Google, and we also house a public charter middle school on campus (The Howard University Middle School of Math and Science).

One of the new and exciting initiatives we have partnered with both Google and the middle school to create was a year-long computer science curriculum for 6th-8th grade students. This program is called the Partnership for Early Engagement in Computer Science (PEECS). PEECS is exciting not only because of the tremendous partnership we've formed, but also the curriculum we've developed.

I neglected to mention that the middle school (also known as MS2) is approximately 97% African-American and 3% Hispanic. In computer science (and STEM in general), these are two minority groups that are GROSSLY underrepresented. Part of the reason is lower performance in math and science courses at any earlier age, that extends through high school and their interests in these subjects. The other reason is lack of exposure to these disciplines. As a result, these students are not prepared to pursue the necessary high-school courses to prepare them for college studies in computer science.

Another major problem with African-American and Hispanic student interests in computer science is they don't feel like this is an area that they readily see themselves in. Think about it. How many African-American or Hispanic computer scientists do you know, or can name? Instead, the field is viewed as White and Asian male-dominated field.

PEECS is designed to change this. First, by working with Google, we are leveraging a program they developed called CAPE, which was designed to expose rising 9th graders to computer science through engaging activities throughout a 4-week summer. PEECS is bridging the engagement with curriculum. Not only are we teaching CS, but we are also doing it through hands-on activities and experiences that students can relate to and understand. One of the most important components of PEECS is that we created a culturally-relevant curriculum to teach students computer science.

Through this culturally-relevant curriculum, we hope to help students not only better understand computer science fundamentals (problem-solving, logic, programming, networking, Internet design, mobile application development, and robotics), but also show them how CS is already a part of their daily lives.

We officially kicked off the program last week with 120 6th-8th grade students in 6 classes. We have two CS faculty (myself and department chair Dr. Legand Burge), two undergraduate and two graduate CS students. We had a few technical difficulties, due to firewall issues, but have now resolved those, and are completing the assessments this week. Stay tuned for an exciting journey called PEECS!!