SEPTE BER 27 - OCTOBER 3, 1987 THE ICHIGAN CITIZEN
ea
o
aws
pre . n of the herit e, culture,
and racial pride of BI omen.
Three, the yle is impec-
bly groomed, profe ional in
ppearance, and co -efficient.
F or two wee s there w s no
adver reaction or comment to
Tatum' hair yle. To the con­
trary, gue and co-workers
complimented her daily, general­
ly commenting that her corn­
rows were quite exquisite.
Then, cashier manager Mizita
Sannoh directed Tatum to pull
her br ids into a 'bun." With­
out prote ing, Tatum began
wearing her cornrows in a bun
th following day. Another
two wee proceeded without
any further . suggestion from
Sannoh or from any other
pervisory personnel.
After two more wee s, per­
sonnel director Betty cOer­
mott ordered her to re-style
her hair, a rting that com-
ro were an "extreme hair-
yle."
After veral minutes of dis­
cu 'on in which Tatum dis­
puted this ba Ie characteri­
zation, cD rmott bluntly
stated, 'I can't under and why
you would want to wear your
hair like that anyway. What
would the guests think if we
allowed you all to ear your
hair e that!" McDermott
ended their conversation on
thereafter.
otwithstanding Tatum's ex­
emplary employment record,
cDermott determined that she
could no longer work for Hyatt
Regency if e continued to
wear her cornrows. Left with
no choice, Tatum tendered her
resignation under dure .
In her law suit, Tatum
e s redre for discrimination
on ccount of r ce, suffered
by her in violation of federal
and state laws in her cap city
as an employee of Hyatt
Regency.
Specifically, she allege that
she was sugject to a discrimi­
natory atmo phere on the job
and that a a result she was
constructively discharged. She
demands an award of b c
pay front -pay compensatory
damages, punitive dam es and
attorney's fees against the hotel.
The cornrow hair tyle is
worn predominantly, if not
exclusively, by Africans
African-Americans and other
people of African descent. In
the Washington metropolitan
area, cornrow are popular
among Bl professional
women, Blae female clericals,
and Bl c female college stu­
dents.
Commenting on the impor­
tance of this litigation, Taalib­
Din A. Uqdah, co-owner of
Cornrow Co., Inc. (the
natural hair care salon which
created s. T tum's hair tyle)
explained th t this scenario wa
becoming di rubingly familiar:
, e have many clients who
relate similar instances of job
discrimination happening to
them. It ems that although
white establishments are forced
by law, to ek an integrated
wor force many employers
nonethele insi that their
Blac female employees appear .
as white or 'European' as po -
sible. Thus often when a
sister wear cornrow, another
braided artstyle, or any other
chemical-free natural hairstyle
this seems to rike a raei t
nerve' in her white supervi r
who cannot tand to e some­
thing inherently frican in the
workplace .... It is tragic that,
in 1987, we as Americans
cannot realize integration in the
true sen of the word, i.e.
the coming together of equals
for the benefit of the united
whole. It appears that for
many white , integration is, t
be , only a one-way reet of
assimilation for Black "
Search on for B ac
families with 75 years
or more in Michigan
o
SH GTO - There is
evidently 'no room t the-Inn"
for many BI c omen em­
ployee at the city' Hy tt
Regency Cry ale A a result,
a la it ha been rued . st
the hotel for its employment
pr ctice banning braided hair-
yle
On ugu 3, 1986, Cheryl
. Tatum, food and beverage
c shier t Hyatt Regency ,
arrived at work with her hair
in thick
br id
lu rous cornro
Her re n for donning the
cornrow hair yle were three­
fold:
One with respect to the hair
growth and maintenance of
African hair, the cornrows yle
is the mo healthy w y for
Blac women to wear their
hair.
Two, cornrow are an
African-inspired art tyle an ex-
Historical Re arch Reposi­
tory Inc. is seeking the names
and addres s of any descen­
dants of early Black Michigan
families and family member
who had relative living in
ichigan prior to 1915.
This information is necessary
to locate all pers ns eligible to
receive certificates. This his-
toric event will link ichigan
Black hi tory to the families
till living in and contributin
to the hsitory of Michigan.
Anyone wishing further infor­
mation about the celebration
and tho with information
about early Black . chigan
families are encour ged to
write: John . Green Execu­
tive Director, Hi torieal Re-
arch Repository Inc., 868
Penobscot Building, D troit,
ichigan 48226-4004.
D troit residents may call
3-0 09, onday-Thursday
1:30 to 5:30 p.m. and ednes­
day, 1:30- :30 p.m.
Dr. elvin
Chapman to
assis B boa d
Dr. elvin Chapman,
former Detroit Public Schools
administrator, has been hired
as consultant in the search
for a new superintendant for
the Benton Harbor Area
Schools.
Chapman proposed a fee of
S400 per day plus expenses to
the BH board. He told the
board he expects his wor to
take the equivalent of 20 days,
which would total $8,000.