Imani Tailly 

College is a blessing for many people. It’s a sign of perseverance, strength, determination, and resilience to make it to the graduation stage and walk across to get your diploma. However, college is just a part of life, and the bigger part of joining the workforce is about to begin. A lot of things can make the transition from college to the job market easier. These include internships, help from mentors, good references and connections, and more. Despite this, Black women have a much harder time getting jobs after college and continue to face hardship once they do due to our skin, hair, and even our names. 

Qualified, but the Wrong Color 

A lot of these struggles apply not just to Black women, but to all people of color. In terms of name bias, more than 1 in 5 employees of color (22%) feel like their first name is a professional liability. This especially applies to Black men and women; according to a study by The Atlantic, white-sounding names like Emily Walsh and Greg Baker received nearly 50% more callbacks than candidates with Black-sounding names like Lakisha Washington and Jamal Jones. These struggles aren’t exclusive to Black people, but because black women sixteen years old and older in 2024 made up 60.5% of the labor force and there ae many Black female students attending UNCG, they will be the focus of the discussion. 

Overall, Black women tend to fill certain jobs over others, often working lower paying jobs and not holding positions in software development, law, and marketing and sales management. Often, Black women are working roles where they are overrepresented and make up a large portion of the workforce. These are often essential jobs such as: childcare workers, maids and housekeeping cleaners, personal care aides, and social workers. Even when working higher paying jobs, a Black woman with the same degree as a white man makes less. For example,  for every dollar a white male lawyer makes, a Black woman makes seventy-five cents. A Black woman who has applied herself, struggled, fought, and achieved a degree, is still devalued and makes less than her white male counterparts. 

Qualified, but the Wrong Hair 

Hair discrimination is an idea that has come up a lot in the past years. As a Black woman who proudly wears my natural hair as my crown, this one personally hurts me the most. When Black women’s hair is two-and-a-half times more likely to be viewed as “unprofessional”, it’s not only discouraging, but infuriating. Studies and data show that one-fifth of the Black women surveyed between the ages of 25 and 34 had been sent home from work because of their hair. Hair discrimination goes beyond the job market to a serious health risk. Many chemical straighteners (relaxers) used by Black people, and black women especially, have been shown to have cancer-causing agents.  Many Black women struggle with our hair, battling between what’s accepted in the professional world and our own desire to represent ourselves and be true to ourselves through our hair. It’s unfair that we are being told to choose our jobs over our health in these situations so that we are more appealing to our employers and don’t risk missing out on an opportunity. When a quarter of the Black women surveyed believe they were denied a job because of their hair, there’s an issue with our jobs, not our women. 

Qualified, but the Wrong Name 

As discussed previously, names play a much bigger role in the hiring process than it may seem. Having a “Black name” can be the difference between getting a second interview or even the job, or a dear Jane letter. Studies tell us that one in 3 workers of color (33%) – more than twice as high as white workers (15%) – say they have had a negative experience at work because of their name, including teasing, discrimination, harassment, and/or isolation. Let’s be real for a second. We’re not in elementary school on a playground, so why are grown adults teasing and bullying coworkers because of their name? I know people who have dealt with this and have changed the name they went by because of it. Workers of color who have changed their name at work are 1.5 times more likely than white workers to say that using the name they were given at birth would impact them negatively in some way at work (53% vs. 33%). These are adults bullying coworkers like children because of their name. It’s beyond ridiculous and immature; it’s complete ignorance and disrespect. There’s also a difference between changing a name for the sake of simplicity and doing it to protect yourself. When people of color are changing their name to make it easier for other people to say or spell, including using a nickname, shortening it, anglicizing it, or adopting a completely new name, it’s not because it sounds cooler. This is a form of protection where they know their name will get them bullied, treated unfairly, and impact their success and ability to rise in a company. With Black women, especially when we already struggle to get higher paying jobs and make a fair income, we shouldn’t have to deal with people’s ignorance because they can’t pronounce our name. 

Qualified, so how do we respond? 

The forms of discrimination in this article are real. They impact various people of color, but for Black women we have so much to overcome. So, how do we combat those people who want to touch our hair? How do we explain to someone that we are just as qualified even though our name isn’t as easy to say as Emily? How do we get our bosses to look past our skin and see our talent, passion, and drive? Here’s my advice after working since sixteen: 

Have good connections 

Having good connections with people who can vouch for you can make or break your transition into the job market. This can be past employers, professors, mentors, advisors, or anyone who can help you and advocate for your skills. 

Be bold, but respectful 

You will deal with ignorance. It’s unfortunate, but there are people who simply are uneducated about Black culture and the Black experience. When they compliment your hair and ask to touch it, if you don’t want it touched, say no. Don’t snap, just explain that you prefer not to have your hair touched and if they argue, hold your ground. Again, be respectful, but don’t get run over. 

Focus on You 

People may try to bring you down; they might try to ruin your career or your connections. If this happens, don’t try and handle them yourself. Tell that connection, tell your boss, don’t let things get messy. Handle your business quickly and professionally. Once that’s done, don’t talk to them, don’t gossip about them. Keep doing your job and what you have to do.  

There are so many more things that can happen and a lot of other crazy situations. You’ll learn to handle them with time. It will be hard, frustrating, and you may need to scream, cry, and do a little bit of everything. Don’t let it throw you off and keep you from achieving what you know you can do.