Le sigh. While my direct supervisor gives no shits about my hair color (propositioned her to let me put it back to my "natural" pink) she wasn't sure the executive team would be on board, and advised me to "let them get to know you first".

Being a white kid I can't begin to guess what racism feels like,and I'm not going to unpack the white backpack or privilege here, but I wonder if it's a bit like this. How could my hair color POSSIBLY impact my work quality? I come with multiple, very positive track records and a proven strong work ethic...so why would it matter?

ESPECIALLY WHEN I SPEND 99.5% OF MY TIME OUT OF THE OFFICE.
Seems painfully unfair that some people I've never met's personal style opinions matter more than my satisfaction with my appearance, and sense of self.

I mean imagine this:

What if, in the workplace, anyone who was NOT blonde would not be taken seriously.
IF you wanted to climb the ladder, you had to be blonde, even if you loved your natural reds or browns or blacks. Or perhaps you would HAVE to have blue eyes, because someone conducted a study that stated blue eyed people are harder workers, and so you would have to wear contacts?

This is what it feels like when my hair isn't pink. I feel like I'm lying about myself to the world, just to placate people I don't know.

TELL ME that hair doesn't look amazing.

Le sigh. While my direct supervisor gives no shits about my hair color (propositioned her to let me put it back to my "natural" pink) she wasn't sure the executive team would be on board, and advised me to "let them get to know you first".

Being a white kid I can't begin to guess what racism feels like,and I'm not going to unpack the white backpack or privilege here, but I wonder if it's a bit like this. How could my hair color POSSIBLY impact my work quality? I come with multiple, very positive track records and a proven strong work ethic...so why would it matter?

ESPECIALLY WHEN I SPEND 99.5% OF MY TIME OUT OF THE OFFICE.
Seems painfully unfair that some people I've never met's personal style opinions matter more than my satisfaction with my appearance, and sense of self.

I mean imagine this:

What if, in the workplace, anyone who was NOT blonde would not be taken seriously.
IF you wanted to climb the ladder, you had to be blonde, even if you loved your natural reds or browns or blacks. Or perhaps you would HAVE to have blue eyes, because someone conducted a study that stated blue eyed people are harder workers, and so you would have to wear contacts?

This is what it feels like when my hair isn't pink. I feel like I'm lying about myself to the world, just to placate people I don't know.

TELL ME that hair doesn't look amazing.