Charge it to the game, or foul out

The following is a thought from a fellow SU student that put something on my mind and kinda made my brain itch for a second.
A couple of semesters ago a teacher asked me if I am going to cut my hair when I go on a job interview. I said “No.” “How are you going to get a job looking like that?” she replied. I just laughed it off, but let me break it down.
After watching all the “white” shows on television trying to understand THEM, I realized that they don’t understand ME. It’s not because they don’t know any better, but they weren’t taught any better. They believe with all their heart that they are better than any black. They may be friendly at times, but they will never see a black as they see themselves.
So why compromise my values, heritage, and identity for a white man to give me a job? Why sell myself just to make ends meet? I would be no different from a prostitute selling my body. What’s the consequence for getting caught prostituting? Incarceration. But if I sell myself I won’t be physically behind bars. I’ll be mentally behind bars.
What if I cut my hair and STILL don’t get the job? What have I gained? I’ll tell you what I’ve lost. My self-respect. Like a man, I’m not ‘bout to bow down!
Henry J. Mitchell
Junior
St. James, La.
A friend of mine was a certified computer technician and applied for a job in that field. A few days later, the employers from that company called him up and were eager to interview him. My friend and the employers had never met in person, but from what he could tell, the job belonged to him. So he put on his best suit and went to claim his job.
When my enthused partner entered the office for the interview, the people looked at him as if he were a roach that had crawled from underneath the kitchen stove. For starters, he was a BLACK MAN. Strikes one and two. Secondly, he had two gold teeth. Stiiiiirrike three, you’re outta there.
Brothers and Sisters understand how these people in corporate America are thinking when they’re selecting people to work in their companies. They want people to represent them by the way they work and look. To them, the way you look reflects the way you will work.
If you want them to even consider hiring you for a position in let’s say some billion-dollar corporation; they expect you to look clean-cut and conservative. This means no braids, visible tatoos, earrings (on guys), gold teeth, etc… Understand that when you present yourself before them with one or all of the above listed items, they see you as an unthinking bufoon. They see you as one of the Cash Money “Minstrels”, a grown person who chooses to refer to themself as “Baby” or “Lil.” They perceive you to be an idiot who doesn’t know how to sensibly spend a million dollars, let alone perform a task in a million-dollar company.
Even though a person with braids (not to say that there is anything wrong with braids) may have all of the required qualifications and experience to work in a certain place, the person giving the interview will close their mind to everything on the resume simply because they feel that person is a “thug.” They won’t see them for the intelligent, qualified applicant that they are. Understand that people have closed minds and feel threatened by things that appear different. As young, African-Americans, we have already been branded “beasts” and the odds are stacked against us in many cases. We have to exceed expectations in ALL aspects of the game. If that means cuttin’ your hair to get the job that you have earned the right to apply for in college, cut it down. You’re actually not bowing down, and you’re definitely not less of a man. You’re just placing yourself in the game and playin’.