IPR is featuring research and some of the many Black pioneers who have had an impact on the field of public relations in celebration of Black History Month.
Dove and LinkedIn studied how Black women in the U.S. experience discrimination during the hiring process and in the workplace for their hairstyles.
A survey of 2,990 employed, female-identifying respondents in the U.S. aged 25-64 years old was conducted from December 2022 – January 2023.
Key findings include:
1.) 20% of Black women between the ages of 25-34 said they’ve been sent home from work because of their hair.
2.) 44% of Black women under 34 years old felt pressured to have a headshot with straight hair.
3.) 66% of Black women said they change their hair for job interviews.
— Of these women, 41% changed their hair from curly to straight.
4.) Black women were 54% more likely to feel they had to wear their hair straight to have a successful job interview compared to respondents of other race groups.
Read the full report here.
