By Norm Bond, BlackEconomicDevelopment.com
In 2001, Sid Credle, Dean of the Business School at Hampton University mandated a ban on cornrows or dreadlocks for male students in the MBA program. The controversial ban continues even today.
In his world, cornrows and dreadlocks, which have been worn for 35,000 years in African culture, are not a part of African American history. Credle says, ”I mean Charles Drew didn’t wear it, Muhammad Ali didn’t wear it. Martin Luther King didn’t wear it.” His response to critics? ”I said when was it that cornrows and dreadlocks were a part of African American history?”
He’s obviously ignorant of the 3,200 year old locked hair of Pharaoh Ramses II which is on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Nor has he visited the Altemps Museum in Rome to see the locks wearing King Amenemhat III of Ancient Egypt. Surely he has not attended any current business events where African American leaders, entrepreneurs, and CEO’s, both men and women, can be seen proudly wearing their natural hairstyles and successfully navigating the terrain.
Nope. It appears Dean Credle is too busy taking the easy route. He’s dictating that male Hampton University MBA students check their uniqueness, diversity, and culture early on — before they even sit in a class. The lesson being taught? Learn to assimilate into the dominant white culture while ironically attending a “Historically Black College”.
The danger of this limited thinking is that it disconnects these African American male students from the very roots of their culture. A literal part of them, their hair, they learn should be viewed as a liability, if they want to “succeed” in the business world. Discard this — in order to fit in. What’s next for them — skin bleaching?
Credle says, “We’ve been very successful. We’ve placed more than 99 percent of the students who have graduated from this school, this program.” And HU spokesperson Naima Ford adds, “These students choose to be in this program and aspire to be leaders in the business world. We model these students after the top African-Americans in the business world.”
Really? Is it any surprise there are so many African American business students who are of no value to the Black community? In a world that moves on innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial thinking they’ve been taught to assimilate, be risk-adverse, and de-value your cultural tradition. How many of these students will open their own business in the African American community, which generates $1.2 trillion in consumer spending?
Pat Woods owns a braiding salon called Just Braids in Newport News and says cornrows and dreadlocks can be a professional and natural look. “That’s the first thing that mothers do to their son’s hair when their hair is long as babies,” said Woods. Stylist Essence Neal agrees. ”It doesn’t affect the way you work and how you are in school.”
Of course there are other options for aspiring MBA students. I hope they will boldly pursue them in environments that are more supportive of their culture.
Please leave your comments below.
While dude be tripping over hair, the more important stats don’t change. No matter how many peasants that eventually come to America.
One thing for sure, education for those of African Descent must be flawed if the best and brightest still has us in the worse socioeconomic conditions, a poor state of affairs and at the rock-bottom of the ‘desperate’ category.
This Dean is apparently suffering from Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome and need he be reminded that there is no more need to be the ‘House Slave’? How has ‘conforming’ reformed our way of life to the betterment of ourselves and humanity?
We been played ya’ll!
We are producing future minds that are whitewashed, backwards to the times we live and conditioned to be of benefit to others; and not ourselves. I refuse to support any Black student scholarship campaign because I see we give them money, they go off to school and when they finish they don’t come back to the community to use that education to uplift their own people; or immediate family. I have seen hundreds of youth win NAACP scholarships and ain’t rarely any of them ever came back; let alone joining that local chapter or making constant contributions to it which offered them hope and opportunity.
Too many brainwashed souls merely fall right in line with their predecessors and 1) don’t shop or support Black businesses or even support our own organizations through payroll deductions; (as if they are conditioned to give all their money to the ‘United Way’ and Negro churches that keep them mentally obedient) 2)they make a bee-line to go live in white neighborhoods that don’t want them, 3) and many get so involved in ‘Greek’ that they forget their roots are from Africa! As Greeks they brand themselves, haze each other, act like gangs with colors, signs and symbols, and live out all that other debauchery associated with Greeks (Animal House) living… multiple sex partners, binge-drinking, self-mutilation and selling out their own for trinkets and false promises.
Traditional Negro organizations beg and get a lot of money from white companies and the older negro crowd. In the end we just get another materialistic ‘Pseudo-American’ desperately seeking fake european features, taking on fake personalities and moving to live lives where the ‘facade’ is more important than the real.
No wonder HBCU’s are on the endangered list and many won’t be spared the tough economic times ahead. To be quite frank, some need to be euthanized quickly before its leadership messes off another generation of potential great minds!
Give me the name of your church, cause Brother you are preaching it up and I can only say AMEN. As Dr. Claud Anderson has warned all who would hear through his lectures, books, and videos — we have now arrived at “terrible, hard, times.” In PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America he outlined in 2001 a scenario very much like that which you have painted.
As for ‘ol Dean, he probably needs to retire because his mindset is etched in concrete. These young, Black, male aspiring MBA’s need to know that there are other definitions of “success” besides wanting to be a management consultant for some white company that feels uncomfortable with you because of your hair.
There’s a $1.2 trillion Black consumer economy right here in the US, and 95% is spent with non-Black owned businesses. Oh, and there’s a Digital Divide in the Black community with lots of business opportunities if you’re a problem solver. And the “green economy” and energy are bubbling with trillions of dollars and Blacks are a captive, under-educated and under-served market. And speaking of your hair, young aspiring MBA, it’s BIG BUSINESS. Ask L’Oreal, Revlon, Alberto Culver or even go around Virginia and study the Koreans who are dominating the multi-billion dollar Beauty Supply Store market and building generational wealth. Their customers look like you — they’re 99% Black. The global African Diaspora needs some of you business-minded geniuses to help provide leadership, innovation and vision. And you can start locally and expand globally.
This is not the message Blacks are receiving in MBA programs. The return on investment may help usher in the leadership change you mention. In the interim Africans throughout the Diaspora need to use the tools we have at our fingertips to re-program minds and improve our lives.
(1.) Dr. Ivan Van Sertima’s “They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America” details many of the Pre-Colombian commercial and cultural interactions between Continental Africans with Native Americans across the entire Western Hemisphere. These historical events occurred “before” the advent of slavery and other negative connotations that have unfortunately become associated with all things “African” and “African-American.”
(2.) Audrey Davis-Sivasothy’s “The Science of Black Hair: A Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair Care” is a great encyclopedic publication that stays true to the title. The author truly provides exceptional information about the scientific structure of human hair, textured hair properties and principles, and many professional approaches to Black hair care.
The prohibition of natural hair locks is nothing more than a systematic approach to reinforcing self-hatred and degradation of a unique culture. No other ethnic group faces such persistent opposition. The beauty and uniqueness of Black hair design, especially braidings, cornrows and dreadlocks, is one of the primary reasons why Black individuals wear these hairstyles. It enhances your individuality, reinforces positive self-esteem and defines one’s cultural identity, all of which are extremely important to not only African-Americans but A-N-Y-O-N-E!
Culture is the foundation upon which an individual builds a personal identity. It is a reference point from which one becomes grounded throughout life. From a historical standpoint, Black people have had to suffer and overcome enormous amounts of social, psychological and political baggage concerning natural and physical beauty. In many ways, it is still somewhat controversial within our society today. But as more of us use alternative means of re-educating ourselves, about our “true” history, these differences become less complicated and more supportive of the positive facets of Black hair care.
My personal opinion of that “fear” is at the root of anything different outside of what’s familiar. Hence, hair locks are both challenged and despised by fearful people who are challenged by “hairstyle diversity”. I have always found beautiful locks worn by Black men and women to be strikingly noticeable and visually appealing, which makes these individuals stand out from the “norm”. Of course, this is the core of the reason why such hairstyles are banned in most corporate environments.
Thank you for sharing. I was not familiar with Audrey Davis-Sivasothy’s book, but it sounds very interesting and I’ll have to check it out. I hope other readers will do the same.
I agree with your assessment regarding fear. There is a fear of the unknown, fear of change, and fear of loss of “majority” status that makes living in an era of increased diversity very challenging for some. The increased access to information is also making it difficult for people to promote lies and propaganda as truth and “facts”. We’re waking up, connecting and going to the source. It’s uncomfortable for those who want to maintain the status quo and be “conservative”.
The internet, mobile communications, ease of travel and voice and video communications is changing the game and opening minds in new ways.
A great event where natural hair, wholistic health and beauty are explored and discussed is the annual International Locks Conference held in Philadelphia. I’ll be presenting a session on marketing at this years event. Check out http://www.LocksConference.com
Also, Mama Akosua who commented above is the primary organizer. Hopefully you can attend.
Peace+blessings