>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK TO "THE FOUR 11".
11".
11". MIA
11". MIA GRADNEY HERE WITH YOU NOW.
WE ARE STARTING A NEW SERIES.
IS CALLED ROOTED.
IT LOOKS AT HAIR AND HOW IT IS
PERCEIVED WITHIN AND OUTSIDE
THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
WE GET A LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN
EXPECT.
>>
>> Reporter: YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHY WE ARE DISCUSSING
NATIONAL HERE PROFESSIONALISM.
IT IS ALL ABOUT REPRESENTATION.
REPRESENTATION MATTERS.
REPRESENTATION MATTERS. TWO WORDS I HAVE HEARD MY LIFE.
ALL BECAUSE OF THE WAY I CHOSE
TO WEAR MY HAIR TO WORK.
BY THE WAY, IF YOU ARE ONE OF
THOSE PEOPLE TYPING ON YOUR
KEYBOARD ABOUT THE STYLE NOT
BEING PROFESSIONAL, PLEASE HELP
ME UNDERSTAND.
ME UNDERSTAND. WHY DOES MY CROWN OFFEND YOU?
THAT COMMENTARY, MY
PERSPECTIVE, HAS BEEN REVIEWED
MORE THAN A MILLION TIMES
ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND
AROUND THE WORLD.
THIS ISSUE IS WIDESPREAD, FROM
AUSTRALIA TO BARBADOS TO SOUTH
AFRICA AND BACK HERE AT HOME.
MANY OF YOU SENT MESSAGES
DESCRIBING YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES
AS IT RELATES TO, IN SOME
SITUATIONS, BLATANT HAIR
DISCRIMINATION.
DISCRIMINATION. IT IS TIME FOR US TO TALK ABOUT
IT, AND TO ADDRESS THE ROOT
CAUSE OF THE ISSUE. THOSE
DEEPLY ROOTED CONCERNS HAVE
SHOWN UP IN MANY WAYS. MANY
TIMES, IT'S CAMOUFLAGED IN THE
FORM OF POLICY, LIKE THIS YOUNG
MAN SITTING NOT TOO FAR FROM
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. HE WAS SUSPENDED AND BANNED
FROM ATTENDING HIS OWN
GRADUATION BECAUSE HE WOULDN'T
CUT HIS DREADLOCKS.
ACCORDING TO HIS FAMILY, THEY
WERE TOLD HIS HAIR VIOLATED A
30-YEAR-OLD DRESS CODE POLICY
AT THE SCHOOL.
AGAIN, JUST OUTSIDE OF HOUSTON.
THERE IS MORE SUBTLE POLICING
FROM SPECTATORS CONSIDERING
WHAT IS A PROVISIONAL
HAIRSTYLE.
HAIRSTYLE. YOU KNOW WE LOVE BRAIDS, KINKY,
CURLY, AND A HOST OF OTHER
HAIRSTYLES.
HAIRSTYLES. WE ARE LIVING IN A DAY AND AGE
WHERE SOME PEOPLE DON'T
CONSIDER MANY OF THOSE
HAIRSTYLES PROFESSIONAL.
HAIRSTYLES PROFESSIONAL. TAKE THIS SITUATION FOR
EXAMPLE.
EXAMPLE.
EXAMPLE. THIS TEXAS JUDGE, SHE
ENCOUNTERED IT WHILE WORKING A
HIGH PROFILE CASE IN TUNIS IN
19.
19.
19. ALL
19. ALL EYES ON HER. SHE FACED
CRITICISM FOR THE HAIRSTYLE SHE
WERE ON THE BENCH.
ROOTED IS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES
OF SOME BLACK MEN AND WOMEN
ABOUT BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR
OWN SKIN AND ROCKING YOUR
TRESSES IN THE STYLE YOU
CHOOSE, BUT ESPECIALLY THE WAY
THE HEROES OUT OF YOUR HEAD,
WITHOUT FEAR OF RETALIATION OR
CONDEMNATION. IF WE DIDN'T
LEARN ANYTHING IN 2020
FOLLOWING THE MASS BLACK LIVES
MATTER PROTESTERS AND MANY
COMPANIES PLEDGING TO DO
BETTER, TO LISTEN, TO STRIVE
FOR EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN THE
WORKPLACE.
WORKPLACE. WE DID LEARN THAT MORE PEOPLE
ARE FINALLY PAYING ATTENTION.
SO IN THIS SERIES, WE ARE
COMMITTED TO ACCOMPLISHING
SEVERAL THINGS.
SEVERAL THINGS. CONTINUING A CONVERSATION ABOUT
BLACK HAIR AND PROFESSIONALISM
IN THE WORKPLACE. EDUCATING YOU
. A PUSH AT THE SECOND LEVEL
LEVELS TO MAKE IT ILLEGAL TO
DISCRIMINATE BASED ON HAIR
TEXTURE AND HAIRSTYLES IN THE
WORKPLACE AND IN SCHOOLS.
AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, IT'S A
SHAME WE NEED A LOT JUST SO WE
CAN ROCK OUR CROWNS.
WE MUST ADDRESS THIS ISSUE HEAD
ON.
ON.
ON. WE
ON. WE WANT TO DIG INTO THE
HISTORY, THE ROOTS.
THIS WILL REQUIRE WORK, NOT
JUST FROM US, BUT FROM YOU,
TOO.
TOO.
TOO. FROM
TOO. FROM COMPANIES AND SCHOOLS WHO
WANT TO CREATE INCLUSIVE AND
EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENTS AND
BEYOND. THIS IS ROOTED.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS A WOMAN
RACE RIGHT HERE IN H-TOWN.
FIRST OFF, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
HUGE SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION TO
THIS SERIES SO FAR.
>> IT'S BEEN CRAZY.
JUST SEEING HOW FOLKS REACTED
TO THIS, EVEN TODAY, WE ARE
USING A HASHTAG ON TWITTER AND
ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.
IT HAS BEEN INSANE TO WATCH HOW
MANY PEOPLE WANTED TO JOIN THIS
CONVERSATION, HOW MANY BLACK
WOMEN AND OTHER RACES AS WELL
WANTED TO JOIN IN ON THE
CONVERSATION AND BE SUPPORTIVE
AS IT RELATES TO CELEBRATING
BLACK HAIR AND WHAT IS
CONSIDERED PROFESSIONAL IN THE
WORKPLACE.
WORKPLACE. IT'S JUST BEEN BEAUTIFUL.
CERTAINLY DIDN'T EXPECT ANY OF
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. I
THIS. I AM HAPPY THAT THE RESPONSE
HAS BEEN SO GREAT, AND EVEN MORE
EAGER TO CONTINUE THIS
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. >> WE ARE THRILLED YOU ARE
HOSTING THIS CONVERSATION.
BY FAR, THE BIGGEST TAKE AWAY
FROM ALL OF THIS IS THAT THIS
IS NOT A BEAUTY TREND.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I HOPE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT.
I'M SO HAPPY YOU MENTIONED
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. NO,
THAT. NO, IT IS NOT ABOUT BEAUTY.
WE ARE TRYING TO UNLEARN, I
WILL SAY THAT, UNLEARN SOME OF
THOSE BEAUTY STANDARDS THAT
HAVE PERPETUATED OUR LIVES FOR
SO LONG, CONSIDERING BLACK WOMEN
WHEN THEY WERE THEIR NATURAL
HAIR. A LOT OF TIMES, THEY ARE
TOLD THAT IS AN PROFESSIONAL.
WHY IS IT BLACK WOMEN CAN'T
SHOW UP WALKING THEIR NATURAL
TRESSES WITHOUT A FEAR SOMEONE
WILL LOOK AT THEM A CERTAIN
WAY.
WAY.
WAY. THAT
WAY. THAT IS WHAT THIS CONVERSATION
AIMS TO DUPLICATE HELPS BLACK
MEN, BLACK WOMEN, SHOW UP.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT IF WE
ARE ABLE TO SHOW UP FULLY AS
OURSELVES, WE DO BETTER WORK.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A PERFECT
SITUATION.
SITUATION. EVERYONE SHOW UP AS THEMSELVES,
AND LET'S GET THE JOB DONE.
IT MAKES PERFECT BUSINESS
SENSE, PERFECT SENSE TO ME.
>> WHEN YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE,
YOU FEEL MORE CONFIDENT.
IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE.
WE WILL BE SEEING MORE OF YOU.
GREAT VISITING WITH YOU.
THIS IS