Black journalists on TV have had to think about their appearance on air in ways that other journalists do not. In August 2020, broadcast journalist Jalea Brooks knew she needed to have an uncomfortable conversation with her news director about her hair. She had been working in Montgomery, Ala. for nearly four years and wanted to wear a new style on air: braids.
Previously, a white manager in Montgomery pulled Brooks aside and told her that if she wanted to continue anchoring, she would need a consistent look. She could choose her hairstyle, they said, but would need to stick with it. At the time, she was between looks and had her natural Black hair pulled back into a bun.
“I could read between the lines, and I understood what he meant by that,” she said. “And I definitely knew that sticking to the status quo felt like the safest option.” Straight hair, she felt, was that safe option and it was stated in her contract that she would need to get permission to change her look in the future…