Job and Cornrows

Post Reply New Topic

I have cornrows, I don't really want to cut them off. I go to school, but i need a job as well. Employers tend to stereotype young black men as it is, and braids may cause more of a hassle. My brothers and all of their friends have never gotten a job with cornrows. I know people who got a job and grew cornrows later as that had the job. I live in a place without many black people, I'm totally qualified for any job that they have to offer to teenagers. it seems that last time i applied for a job, and i had cornrows, the manager acted flakey. In that store there are only pretty girls (of all colors) and white guys. I came in to turn in an application with dress shoes, a dress shirt, clean shaven, "cornrows", and some black slacks. Later on that week i called back and the manager acted so flakey. he said he needed baggers, but i never got hired. then he told me he wasnt hiring. Anyways I have only seen two black males working there. one was old...and i have only seen one young one, but he had a low cut fade.
Being black it seems that you have to be twice as better and qualified than everyone else to get what you need in the US. On CNN they did a little documentary about a guy who was doing the same thing I was. Ge didnt even have braids and he was qualified with a college degree but the managers never hired him anywhere he went and they acted flakey on the phone calls.

CNN asked the managers why and one said "YOUNG BLACK MEN ARE LAZY AND HAVE A POOR WORK ETHIC".

Life is sometimes so unfair to me at times. Being autistic and black. and i'm a young black male at that. No one sees aspergers in a person. and autistic people are often focused hardworkers. I take college classes in high school and I have a 4.0 in all of them. the richest man in the world is autistic, but I bet bill gates didnt have the racial problems that i did because he is white.

i don't know....should i cut off the hair?

I see professionals in suit and tie with cornrows, all the time. It doesn’t have the same association as dreads or massive hair. As long as you look after it I don't see the problem. Probably shouldn't have braid that extend to far down your next, but no biggy. The main thing is you look after yourself. maybe it is different were you are.

thanks for the help. But i live in the United Dates in Arizona, and the United States is the most racist country. Just because our president is black doesnt mean that racism is over. People voted for Obama because their asses were broke and losing Jobs and McCain didnt run a good campaign. If the economy was great John McCain would be president right now. But thats all I have to say about that, its the truth and the only truth, there were very few ppl who voted for him because he was a new guy for change and cuz he was black. They liked his ideas but not his skin color, and his ideas won out.

But yea I'm just unsure about my hairstlye and first impressions.

One idea is wear cornrows that are thin. Just gut instinct tells that the thick one would have more rude boy impression amongst prejudicial people. Thin ones seem to be more 'respectable'.

I do wear thin ones. I'm going to keep trying. eventually i will get a job, I've never had one though. I'm nervous about if im going to be bullied

Yeh well good luck. I don't think you should change you hair. Nowadays you can choose to straighten you hair, back in the 60s they used to straighten their hair so they could get jobs, and if it was me i would ever put that crap on my head just to make it straight.

tell me about it jbinion. I have been a woman for all my life and believe me, they want a top model that types! And don't even try to get a job if you are OLD, what a complete bummer, man. Try being an old hippie type woman hippie and (oh, and an Aspie! we have that in common.)I think you see So, being old and a woman, I respect your position.

But, to your question:



I think you have it nailed on these two morsels of information you wrote in your original post.



there ya' go. Get in and then get 'rowed. Just be sure you don't cut your hair for just any job, go for the BEST and they will see you all bright and shorn and you move to the front of the line of the choicest pick.
Now, what of the people that might (as we used to say) 'give you the business' because you cut your lovely locks?

Tell 'em to pay your bills for ya!

all the best to your job search,

Merle[/quote]