The city ordinance bans discrimination based on natural hairstyles such as braids, locks, afros and twists. The city ordinance bans discrimination based on natural hairstyles such as braids, locks, afros and twists. The city ordinance bans discrimination based on natural hairstyles such as braids, locks, afros and twists. Inside a Georgia salon, clients rebuild confidence “strand by strand,” says master cosmetologist Dyniecia Barnes, who sees how hair expectations can weigh on people seeking jobs and professional opportunities. “When people have to hide their hair in life, it’s almost like it’s a form of shame,” said Barnes of Health in Hair & Wellness Hair Loss Center. She said the pressure often intensifies ahead of job interviews or photo shoots, when clients feel compelled to alter their natural hair to appear more “acceptable” in professional settings. Client Ijah Porter said she has long felt that tension as a Black woman in corporate America. “Just being a Black woman here in America, especially corporate America, there’s always been this double consciousness,” Porter said. Asked whether she has ever changed her hairstyle because of a job, Porter said yes, describing how she
