Hairdos & interviews

Timothy sends out ten resumes. He gets one callback. Taariq sends out fifteen resumes. Nevertheless, he gets one callback, too. Moral of the story: White is still right in 2006 -- and the bearer of a so-called "black-sounding" name must do more work and have more patience than the next guy if he wants to snag a job, or even an interview, in corporate America. \n"White-sounding" names get better response from employers, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research paper titled "Are Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal?"\nIt requires no stretch of the imagination to believe that in the corporate world, "white-looking" hairstyles fare better than distinctly black ones. Officials at the historically black Hampton University in Virginia seem to believe so. In fact, they've decided to ban male students in the university's five-year business administration program from sporting "extreme" hairdos: dreadlocks or braids, including cornrows.\n"We're developing professionals who will go into corporate America for the most part so we don't want extreme hairstyles or extreme attire," Sid Credle, dean of Hampton's business school, told CNN. \nLike a parent who attempts to increase the chances of their child's success by giving her a more vanilla moniker -- Credle's ban seems well-intended, albeit blind to the value of cultural identity. \nThe difference in the scenarios, more importantly, is that the students in Hampton University's five-year MBA program aren't children. They're adults who in some cases have made a very conscious decision to don hairstyles that reflect their personal values -- which in many cases include retaining individual freedom and celebrating cultural heritage.\nSuch is the case of 2004 Kelley School of Business graduate Maya Wilkes. Despite a Kelley finance degree, a fluent tongue in Japanese and a more than impressive accumulation of experiences, Wilkes' decision to don a natural hairstyle in the face of corporate disdain was often met with the same post-interview feedback.\nQuite simply, "I was told there were people who fit the company culture better than me," she said.\nUnlike the execs that tiptoed around specifics, Wilkes' family was more forthright. Out of concern, they told her to change her hair -- at least until she was in a position to make the rules herself.\nAt the time Wilkes said she thought, "I'm supposed to wait 15, 20 years before I can be myself? No."\nWilkes determination and patience eventually landed her a job at a company where she believes her competency isn't determined by her hairstyle.\nCompanies like that, however, aren't always easy to find. And while Hampton administrators say the strict dress code helps students overcome racial stereotype, efforts might be better spent on teaching students how to create their own job opportunities. At the least, faculty and staff should commit to helping students find jobs if they refuse to lose their 'locs. \nA historically black university like Hampton knows very well that a brother can change his name and his hair, but he can never change his identity.