Courtesy of The Grio
Monique Grissette-Banks is an African-American woman who has successfully climbed the corporate ladder. She has worn her hair in dreadlocks for the past six years and says from personal experience locks are becoming more acceptable in corporate America.
As corporate culture encounters more skilled and professional dreadlocked people “how we decide to wear our hair becomes a less important factor,” says Grissette-Banks, an HR Manager at LexisNexis, with a master’s degree and in the final stages of her PhD.
“Since I’ve started working here, two other women in my division now wear locks and there’s also a man,” says Grissette-Banks, who wears shoulder-length dreads.
Professional women are embracing their “nappy” hair, “because salons are creating interesting and diverse styles, even if hair is not chemically altered,” says Rosario Schuler, founder of Oh! My Nappy Hair, a trio of salons in L.A, Oakland and Atlanta that specialize in the care, styling and maintenance of natural hair.
“Initially people are just fascinated that their hair can grow but if long manes aren’t well-maintained they get matty,” Schuler says. “But locks are extremely versatile and we can take any straight hairstyle and recreate the style with locks.”
However, Alice Sydow, an image consultant based in Minneapolis, concedes she would advise clients to wear dreadlocks with caution. “You have to consider your geography, the industry you work in, and what level you are in your company,” says Sydow, who has corporate clients.
“For example, if you are in an artistic industry, working at a music label or advertising agency, then dreadlocks that are well-maintained and styled are more acceptable than if you worked at a law firm or in a corporate-level position.”
Schuler’s daughter Erica Blevins-Richardson, who manages the Oh! My Nappy Hair location in Atlanta, still maintains “once locks are styled and well-maintained they look great.”
Blevins-Richardson, who has styled dreadlocks for a host of celebrities, including Stevie Wonder, Lennox Lewis and Lalah Hathaway, says media acceptance of dreadlocks has encouraged their popularity.