Google's Portrayal of "Professional" Hair

Alexander, L. (2016, April 8). Do Google's 'unprofessional hair' results show it is racist? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/08/does-google-unprofessional-hair-results-prove-algorithms-racist-

Women of color specifically are placed at a disadvantage in the workplace due to their race. The stereotype of the "angry black woman" has caused women of color to act more introverted at their places of work. Women often change their behaviors in their offices to seem "professional", but this then poses the question of what makes them seem unprofessional in the first place? Many are judged for their appearances, communication skills and how well they can control their emotions. This can bring a new set of emotional and mental stress to these women.

In the past few years, a new type of racial discrimination towards black women has surfaced. The Washington Post referred to it as race-based hair discrimination. The picture above is a tweet shared, after a Twitter user googled unprofessional hairstyles for work and professional ones. The results for unprofessional was mostly pictures of black women with their natural hair out. The professional results showed images of white women, also with their natural hair, but was for some reason deemed more professional and acceptable. Although several states are taking steps to break down the culture of discrimination surrounding black hair in school and work environments, it continues to be stigmatized.

Unfortunately, throughout history, particularly hairstyles and textures of women of color has become increasingly racialized. This creates the expectations for these individuals to "dress" their hair for the workplace and to fit into the workplace culture. This creates bias towards black individuals seeking work and forces them to suppress parts of their identity. This issue continues to create racial divides not only in the United States, but across the globe. Although laws being passed are helping to combat this issue, it is not until major cultural shifts start to happen that this kind of racial prejudice will end.

Course Reference: Durr, M. & Harvey Wingfield, A.M. (2011). "Keep your "N" in check." In Andersen, M. L., & Collins, P. H. (2019). Race, class, and gender: intersections and inequalities (pp 169-176). Boston, MA: Cengage.

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