Black woman called out for wearing braids at a Black company by both her manager and CEO: ‘She told me I look 12 years old’
She didn't see anything unprofessional about her hair.
Lex (@etcforsure) decided to wear her natural hair in braids that day instead of her usual bob-cut wig. She alleged that because of her hairstyle choice, both her manager and the company CEO accused her of being “unprofessional.”
“Something extremely upsetting happened at work to me today, and I just want to know if I’m overreacting,” Lex told TikTok. She didn’t disclose her company’s name and deliberately hid the logo behind a green sweater. Lex claimed that her manager, a Black woman, called her into her office because of her hair. Then, her manager allegedly called her hairstyle “unprofessional.” She was wearing braids with two small black butterfly clips.
Lex said she has been with the company for only a week and started coming into the office with a bob-cut wig. She would wear the wig at times and her natural hair on other days. Just a day before, Lex said she wore her hair in Bantu knots. On the day she posted her TikTok video, Friday, October 16, Lex decided to wear her hair in a different braid style.
Then, Lex’s manager told her that the CEO had an issue with her hair, too. Lex was confused and asked for clarification. Her manager allegedly replied that because Lex came in with a wig on some days and wore her hair in braids on others, it was “inconsistent.” The manager also allegedly expressed discomfort with how she wore makeup on some days and not on others.
“The only thing that’s different today is that I don’t have my blush on,” Lex said. Although she denied wearing a full face of makeup, she explained that she usually only wears mascara, blush, and eyebrow products.
Facing alleged discrimination at a Black company
Then her manager allegedly gestured to her own hair, pointing out that even though her hair was straight yesterday and curly today, she was being “consistent.” Although her manager allegedly disliked that Lex kept coming into the office looking different every day, Lex believes that the issue was primarily with her hair. She wasn’t wearing infected braids that needed medical intervention, unlike this unfortunate woman who was rushed to the emergency room. Nevertheless, Lex was shocked by her manager’s comments.
“Mind you, I work for a Black company. This is the first Black company that I ever worked for,” Lex alleged. Based on her experience, she claimed that she had never faced discrimination because of her hair before. She also claimed that she had gone to many other interviews wearing her natural hair, yet this was the first time she faced discrimination over it. Because of her manager’s comments, she now feels hesitant to wear her natural hair at work.
Lex clarified, asking the manager whether her braided hair looked “unprofessional.” The manager allegedly agreed. After being lectured about her hair, Lex said she went to speak with the CEO. She explained that the manager thought that her hair looked unprofessional. To Lex’s surprise, the CEO allegedly agreed with the manager.
“She told me I looked like I’m 12 years old,” Lex said, even though she reported that she was turning 28 soon. The CEO allegedly added that if Lex had to speak with a client, she would demand that she put her wig on. “This is a Black company. The CEO is bald-headed. She’s a bald, Black woman, and my manager is a Black woman,” Lex added.
Not just a hair problem
“This is different. This has nothing to do with my work,” Lex said. She was frustrated that her manager and CEO judged her based on her appearance. When she started crying, the CEO allegedly backpedaled and asked Lex not to remove her hair clips.
Frustrated by the ordeal, Lex went to the CEO’s husband to clarify the work policy. She asked him if her hair looked “unprofessional,” and he disagreed. Lex argued, “She sounds like she’s going off the books, and she has her own personal opinion about what is and isn’t okay in the workplace.”
She’s still reeling from the situation, and Lex hasn’t posted another update about her company. Meanwhile, unlike Lex, another Black woman had the perfect comeback against a microaggression during her Delta Airlines flight.
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