Is There a Difference Between Aphrocentric Hair and Black Hair?

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Hair is a mutable trait that you can alter, and it's very relevant to identity. People with afros or dreadlocks in their hair were rated as less professional than the same images of women when they were portrayed as having straight, relaxed hair. While afro tric hair was denegrated across the board, it was most denegrated by people of african descent. We really need to wrestle with our cultural understanding of what is professional.

As leaders, we know we’re supposed to be authentic, but for women, that can be tricky. For one thing, it can be hard to even know what our “true selves” want with all the demands competing for our attention. For another, there are different expectations about how women should look, and behave. In this episode, we talk with an expert on authenticity, as well as a woman trying everyday to bring her best self to work and help others do the same. Guests: Tina Opie and Candice Morgan. Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City in Motion,” provided by Audio Network. For links to the articles mentioned in this episode, as well as other information about the show, visit hbr.org/podcasts/women-at-work.