The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

            A memory I will never forget is when an African American woman came in for an interview at a staffing agency where I worked. She had yellow, purple, and black cornrows in her hair. My supervisor asked me to not go through the whole interviewing process, just take her resume, thank her for coming in and advise her that I will call her at a later date. Once she left my Supervisor (who was White) took her resume over to the shredder and said, “No thank you especially not with that type of hair” placed it in the shredder, and walked away. Microaggressions, “Maybe verbal, behavioral, or environmental” (Laureate Education, 2011). To me this is a form of microinvalidations, “It invalidates your spiritual experiential reality” (Laureate Education, 2011). For example, not giving a person the opportunity of employment because of how they look. Taking away the opportunity of employment just by the style of someone’s hair is a form of prejudice and oppression. This no longer maintained equity because she was prejudged before being interviewed.

            Witnessing oppression, “unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power” (Merriam Webster Dictionary, n.d.) reminded me of how other people feel, just as my Supervisor did. Another example, my mother-in-law asked if my daughters could go to church with her one Sunday and I agreed. I decided to get their hair braided so she wouldn’t have to worry about combing it daily for the entire weekend of their stay. When my father and mother-in-law brought them back home their hair was in ponytails and the braids were taken out. I asked her, “Why did you do that? She responded, “I don't like braids, nor do I want my hair, or my daughter’s hair, or grand-daughters hair braided. I remember when I was a little African American girl in the 2nd grade and saw pictures of children from Africa. They had braids, ragged clothes, no shoes, and the children looked bad to me. Black children were always told we looked just like them. NO! I don’t look like them nor will I ever allow them to identify me as such! Therefore, you will never see me encourage nor put any family member of mine in braids!”

           The feelings cornrows or braids brings up in me is the fact that it will paint a negative picture for anyone who wears them. “Covert isms are indirect, subtle, and hidden. We detect them through the outcomes or consequences of laws, organizational policies, and regulations in people’s actions and attitudes” (Derman-Sparks, Edwards, 2010)). Both my mother-in-law and Supervisor had the same covert isms about cornrows and braids, I think this is a form of systemic injustice would you agree? 

          Honestly, change will come when people are ready to change. Unfortunately, my mother in law said, “No matter how I feel You can never change my mind so stop asking!” This is where I prefer to disagree without being disagreeable and teach the children I serve to be more accepting of different variations of hairstyles from different ethnic backgrounds. I'd like them to be accepting of all establishing the opportunity for greater equity.  

                                                                                                

References

Derman-Sparks, & Edwards, (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Chapter 3. “Becoming an Anti-Bias Teacher: A Developmental Journey” (read “Become Aware of Your Own Feelings and Beliefs: and “Examine Institutional Advantages and Disadvantages” on pp. 22-27).

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]

            https://class.waldenu.edu

“Oppression.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, (n.d.)

            www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oppression.