How Hair Is Sparking the Debate of the Moment

Dreadlocks have been at the center of a heated and meaningful debate on social media over the past 
week—spanning from accusations of cultural appropriation at New York Fashion Week to a ruling from a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

It began last Thursday, when Marc Jacobs sent his models down the runway for his Spring 2017 collection in hand-dyed wool dreadlocks. The pale piles of faux hair, hairstylist Guido Palau had explained backstage, were an homage to club kids; Boy George; and director Lana Wachowski, among a slew of other references. The look incited an immediate discussion about whether or not the hairstyle was an offensive form of cultural appropriation (especially as worn by a predominantly white cast), or if it was merely a show of appreciation for the style. When the controversy first erupted after his Thursday afternoon show, Jacobs responded on his Instagram account in a now-deleted comment that read, “I respect and am inspired by people and how they look. I don’t see color or race—I see people.” By Sunday, he quickly backtracked to first apologize “for the lack of sensitivity unintentionally expressed by my brevity,” and then to clarify: “Of course I do ‘see’ color, but I DO NOT discriminate. THAT IS A FACT!”

That was just the beginning. Because while Jacobs’s controversial club kids were stomping around in platform boots on Thursday, a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced that banning dreadlocks from the workplace is entirely legal. The ruling was based on a case filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in which a black job applicant, Chastity Jones, had her offer of employment at Catastrophe Management Solutions rescinded when she refused to cut off her dreadlocks. The suit claimed that CMS’s actions amounted to discrimination, citing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (failure or refusal to hire someone over race, color, religion, sex, or national origin is against the law), and arguing that zeroing in on dreadlocks unfairly targeted African-Americans, with whom the hairstyle is traditionally most associated. Lawyers for CMS argued that the company had a race-neutral grooming policy.

The court’s decision was reached after deciding that Title VII protected “immutable traits” of race that did not extend to grooming choices. In other words, CMS’s company policy, requiring employees to present themselves in a manner that “projects a professional and businesslike image,” is up to the business to interpret. Reactions to the ruling have erupted online, mainly taking issue with exactly whose idea of business professionalism is being upheld. “I guess wearing a wig to get the job and ‘passing’ would be legal, too,” one user tweeted.

Raising questions about whether the difference between “groomed” and what Jones was told by a CMS HR manager was “messy” is a matter of perception—one that is intrinsically linked to community or culture—the subject certainly requires a sensitive rethinking. And it’s not the first time that hair, or dreadlocks in particular, have sparked debate. In February of last year, television host Giuliana Rancic prompted anger on the Hollywood red carpet when she wondered aloud whether singer Zendaya’s dreadlocks made her look like she “smells like patchouli oil.” The singer took to social media, responding that “There is already harsh criticism of African-American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair. My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough.”

American Honey star Sasha Lane may have put it best when she joined the heated conversation on Instagram Sunday night. Sharing a photograph of herself whipping her own dreadlocks through the air, she summarized a list of questions and prejudices she faces regularly surrounding her hair, including: “How does your hair smell? What’s [it] feel like? . . . Can I touch it? Criticize and then steal it?” As she succinctly reminded fans, The coolest thing about my hair is that it’s my hair.” With social media introducing a very public platform for the sharing of just such deeply personal experiences, here’s hoping the larger discussion about dreadlocks is just getting started.

 

Watch Marc Jacobs light it up at his Spring 2017 ready-to-wear show.

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