Emily Brown runs a non-profit in the Kansas City area. She is a black woman who wears her hair naturally. In 2016, she was invited to speak at a national conference, but one of the board members pulled her aside.
“You know, I think you’re smart,” Brown told the story recently on KCUR’s Central Standard. “But I’m concerned, you know, that people in the room may not fully hear you because of your hair. You should consider straightening your hair, you know, before you take this trip.”
The invitation to speak was a big deal, Brown said, and this board member made her doubt herself.
“It really made me think twice on my decision to wear my hair natural,” Brown said. “Are people not listening to me here in rooms in Kansas City because of this hair?” Check out the full story.
By Michelle Tyrene Johnson, KCUR
