Beaded cashmere dress, TSE. Earrings and bracelets,
Cooke’s own. Rings, Dinosaur Designs (left) and
Jennifer Fisher.My ’fro gives me
superpowers.MARSHA COOKE, SVP CONTENT
STRATEGY AND COMMUNITY, VICE MEDIAIt’s been 15 years since Marsha Cooke set
aside silk presses and braids and began to
adopt the style that’s become her signature.
But although she’s in her happy hair space
now, truly loving her texture took time.
Despite little resistance from her colleagues
and managers in corporate America, Cooke
still straightened her hair for events where
she felt that would be better received.
“I was hearing the voices of my traditional
Jamaican parents,” Cooke says. “I think they
saw straight hair as a ticket into the world
they wanted for me.”
Rather than being celebrated, naturally
textured hair has often been something
women felt the need to hide in the
workplace. “The Afro, in particular, has always
threatened the status quo,” says Bundles. “For
a very long time, it made corporations and
white employers nervous about what they
perceived as militancy.” But that’s starting to
change. Earlier this year, the Creating a
Respec tful and Open World for Natural Hair
(crown) Ac t, which prohibits employers and
schools from discriminating against natural
hairstyles, was enacted into California law. (For
more information, see “Stand Up for Natural
Hair!,” below.)
As for Cooke, she didn’t truly understand
her hair’s impact until she moved into her
role at Vice Media. Younger staffers will
sometimes raise their fist or give her a round
of applause when she walks through the
office—and their voices give her hope that
perceptions have changed since her parents’
day. “Millennials come into my office and
talk about my hair and really convey a sense
of pride about who I am and what I’ve
achieved as a member of senior management.
That’s a real evolution.”STAND UP FOR NATURAL HAIR!
You can help end bias based on hair
texture and hairstyles by supporting
the crown Coalition. Cofounded
by Dove, this alliance is working
to outlaw hair discrimination in the
workplace and in schools. Visit
thecrownact.com to sign the online
petition and build momentum
to pass the crown Act nationwide.@OPRAHMAGAZINE SEPTEMBER (^201959)