Dove, LinkedIn partner to end race-based hair discrimination

As part of Dove’s ongoing commitment to help pass The CROWN Act and end race- based hair discrimination nationwide, the brand has partnered with LinkedIn on a workplace discrimination study. The study surveyed 2,990 female (Black, Hispanic and White) identifying respondents in the U.S. ages 25-64 between December 2022 and January 2023. 

“While progress has been made to end hair discrimination with the passage of The CROWN Act in some states across the U.S., race-based hair discrimination remains a systemic problem in the workplace—from hiring practices to daily workplace interactions—disproportionately impacting Black women’s employment opportunities and professional advancement,” the brand said in a release. 

The new CROWN 2023 Workplace Research Study, co-commissioned by Dove and LinkedIn, found that Black women’s hair is 2.5x more likely to be perceived as unprofessional, and details the systemic social and economic impact of hair bias and discrimination against Black women in the workplace. Additional findings from the CROWN 2023 Workplace Research Study include the following:

• Bias against natural hair and protective styles can impact how Black women navigate the hiring process.
• Hair discrimination has led Black women to have a negative experience or outcomes within the workplace.
• Young Black professionals are feeling the pressure from hair discrimination the most. 
  • 25% of Black women believe they have been denied a job interview because of their hair, which is even higher for women under 34 (1/3). 

“For far too long, Black women and men have been subject to unfair treatment, outright discrimination and a myriad of inequities for simply wearing our natural hair texture and hairstyles that are inherent to our cultural identity.” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, president and CEO of Unilever Personal Care in North America. “This includes being denied employment, being sent home from work, being overlooked for promotions and a range of microaggressions.” In support of The CROWN Act, Dove and LinkedIn have partnered on a series of actions to help end race-based hair discrimination in the workplace nationwide:

Provide free access to 10 LinkedIn Learning courses focused on creating a more equitable and inclusive work environment, with a goal to educate 1 million hiring managers and workplace professionals by the end of 2023. 

Illuminate the real and measurable adverse impact hair discrimination continues to have on Black women in the workplace through the CROWN 2023 Workplace Research Study. 

Elevate and celebrate the real stories and voices of Black women professionals across LinkedIn and social media platforms using #BlackHairIsProfessional to help redefine what society deems “professional” at work. 

“While talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not,” said Rosanna Durruthy, global vice president of diversity, inclusion, and belonging at LinkedIn. “Cultural identifiers, like hair, are not determining factors for someone’s skills or experience, and no one should be denied employment opportunities or professional advancement because of their hair.”