source: http://www.waxxtv.com/?p=9986
Story by Michael Goins – I was involved in a conversation late last week with a group attending a luncheon focused on opportunities in the workplace. One of the main topics of discussion was African American men with dreadlocks and their career opportunities. To my surprise everyone in the group thought that any black male wearing dreadlocks not only limited his career opportunities to low-wage earning jobs but also doomed his family to a life of poverty. I hadn’t had this sort of conversation before so I was a bit intrigued at the direction in which it was going. See, I hadn’t put any real thought one way or the other into the matter. The concensus in this was that dreadlocks was not the corporate look you want to have when going for that job interview. Made me think when was the last time I saw a black male with dreadlocks wearing a suit or anything but Khakis and a vest. Surely I have seen this somewhere and once I really thought about it I did indeed know a few black men with dreadlocks that wore suits. The irony though, was that all the men worked for some non-profit or black-owned endeavor, or was an athlete or musician. None of them worked in the private sector, which is where most americans earn their living.
I came home later that night with this topic still rattling in my brain and I remembered there was a time when blacks were the trendsetters of fashion and other cultures followed our lead. Dreadlocks is not a look that black males created in their basement. It wasn’t a style that a couple of the “cool dudes” started to wear and everyone else picked it up. The hairstyle is a copy from blacks that live predominately in South America. In this case, blacks are copying a style made popular by another ethnic culture. I thought back to a time when a lof of black men wore afros. It was a natural hairstyle for the time and being so, was accepted in the workplace. The “extreme afro” on the other hand was an oddity at work. Don’t get me wrong though, exteme afro’s where a status symbol in our neighborhood. Mostly wore by young teens and college students. By the time most of these black men left college or entered the workplace, they had left the extremeness of their afros behind for a much smaller size cut that was appropriate for their new corporate lifestyle. The one’s that bucked the trend and retained the larger afros were athletes, musicians or they worked in at a non-profit. If you still had the oversized afro after age thirty or so and was not in the group I just mentioned, you where typically the guy in the neighborhood that really didn’t have a lot going on. You where the fast food worker, the janitor, mechanic, factory or warehouse worker. You were definitely a blue-collar worker in a unionized shop.
I decided to do some research on the topic and discovered some interesting things about dreadlocks in the workplace. A lot of companies consider dreadlocks on men or woman an “extreme hairstyle” that detracts away from the business and brings the focus onto the individual. Many companies have policies against these “extreme hairstyles”. From Blackvoices.. Two women are outraged after they say they were denied jobs at Six Flags because of their dreadlocks in Largo, Md., an area with a 93 percent African American population.
Janet Bello, 23, says when she applied for a part-time job at Six Flags in Largo, she was told her “locks” hairstyle disqualified her from employment.
She says a supervisor told her management is adhering strictly this year to a years-old corporate grooming policy that considers dreadlocks to be an extreme hairstyle. Bello considers the characterization to be offensive:
“I think it’s outrageous, and I really think it’s sad. … I think Six Flags can literally, excuse my French, go to hell.”
ABC 7 News obtained a copy of Six Flags’ grooming standards for employees, which states that the company does not permit “any hairstyle that detracts or takes away from Six Flags’ theme.” Read More of this story..
I came across another article that touted, “How to find a decent job if you wear dreadlocks”. The article noted such jobs as farmhand or ranchand at a nearby farm, stagehand at an arena or theatre. Click here to read more..
At Jackson State University College Of Business, Dreadlocks is an unacceptable business practice. One of the instructors at the school talks about the “dread look” Mercidee Curry, a JSU business instructor said that the corporate environment is very conservative. The industry calls for dark suits, long sleeve shirts, and ties for males. For females, it’s dark dress or pant suits, blouses, and hosiery. “Don’t go with the culture,” said Curry referencing the pop culture attire, “[Students] are going into the corporate world where everything is still conservative.”Bill Iupe, a partner with Carr, Riggs, and Ingram, LLC, agrees with Curry and said the importance of dressing professionally should not be taken lightly.
“Not only the type of hairstyle,” says Iupe, “But the total appearance plays a part in the hiring process.” Christopher Gibson, a junior accounting student, has dreadlocks and believes it not a big issue of what type of hairstyle he has. However, he says he will get a low haircut at the appropriate time. Click here to read more of this story
Article after article that I came across in my search was anti dreadlock in the workplace. The jobs that appeared to have an acceptance of the dreadlock look were non-professional positions that one would have a difficult time supporting a family on. So this articles title, If you date a man with dreadlocks -Your financial future doesn’t look good is a title that at least warrants some consideration if you are in a relationship with someone that sports dreadlocks. Of course from what the research shows, if your life is about quality of living and you want to be with someone that can help provide that for you and the kids, you may have to rethink that guy you have your eye on with the long locks.. unless of course he is a million dollar athlete, musician or business owner. If your life is about finding that true love, then be damn the money, be broke, -and live happily ever after.
It shouldn't be the case, but white people are fickle like that and are all about the company "image". 
