Latest / Black Box Theory Podcast / Professionalism or Policing? The Tuskegee Dress Code Debate
Transcript
- Thomas: speaking of good Malcolm: Correct. Thomas: health, let's talk about the Tuskegee another HPCU, which depending on how you look at this can be good or bad. Tuskegee University in Alabama situation. So pretty much they introduced a new dress code. Banning bonnets and do rags. The university's president released a statement saying students need to dress professionally. Now, this has caused some discourse online. Some people say it is anti-black, some people say it is appealing to Eurocentric standards. Others say this should have been a thing. it's not a good thing to wear out in public. And when you go to class, you should be practicing for the professional world and just presenting yourself. Because you don't always get to have a first impression. You never you only get one first impression. so so Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: what are your thoughts on this? Malcolm: that's the thing. I want to answer this in a way where it's like or give my opinion on this in a way where it's like I'm not completely discrediting or or invalidating one side of it. Like I I to an extent I understand both sides. One, obviously, some people can say it's anti black, it's like restricting, it's taking away from our culture. you know, that whole ordeal, right? And then there's other side where it's like, yeah, you should be, you know, there's a time and place for everything. You should be should be practice how you play. Like you should be dressing professionally. You should be carrying yourself with a certain standard. you know, at your institutions like you're in clash to learn, not to like so it's like I guess I get both ways, but to to me I I I I completely agree with the f I I'm not gonna say it's I I don't think it's a bad thing. I I think that folks that's are saying that it's like we're like bending a knee or we're like kinda like conforming to to to Eurocentric standards or whatever, whatever. we're at school to get a degree. Like I said, you already go to an HBCU, bro. you're surrounded by your people. You're surrounded by nothing but your culture. You have D9, Greek, you know, fraternities and sororities. You have organizations created by black students. You have you have you have, you know, black professors and teachers and chancellors and vice presidents and directors and deans. You have all of these things that that make up the architect the know the architecture and then the structure of an HPCU. You are there to learn, to get your degree, to network, to secure a full time job, to secure internships, to secure secure co-ops, right? And so it's like I do think that that there is a time and a place for it. Right. I think that that, you know, if you want to wear a do rag in the comfort of your own home and get your ways on point. If you want to wear a bonnet and to protect your 'cause I I understand it, right? As someone who's had locks before, I understand the importance of protecting your hair and taking 'cause a lot of people don't understand like, like, like what black hair means to to a black person because they've never had it. They don't they don't understand like the the intention that we put in it to to moisturize it, to keep it conditioned, to keep it looking good, to keep it looking fresh, right? Like there's a lot of like pride and and to some to some degree, some people have like like spiritual connections with their hair. I'm not that that far in like you feel me. But like I under I understand it, right? So it's I've been there. I understand the importance of wanting to maintain your hair and to keep it, but you're going to class, bro. So it's like the the same way, like it's like it's like you have to make it make sense, right? Because these same people that will argue this down about you should be able to wear it in the in the club in the classroom. Okay, let me ask you this. Would you wear a do rag or a bonnet to a job interview? Would you wear a do-rag or a bonnet to to the club when you go out with your friends? Would you wear a do rag or a bonnet, right? To to a to a networking event? No, you wouldn't. Why? well, that's different because how is it different? In the class, you are learning. You are preparing yourself. You're you are literally learning the foundational concepts that are going to carry you in the professional world. And the only difference is that this is actually being in the in the same place, right? This is actually being in the professional. well, well, class isn't the same as a job, and I should be able to relax and dress how I want to in class. You can dress how you want to. It's not a uniform, it's not a uniform, but it's like there's a time and a place, bro. Right? Like, like, like they're like, and it's like you have to understand like how your outward appearance, like, whether it's a good thing or not. And it's not, you know, prejudice and stereotypes aren't a good thing. But you have to understand, right?