My Hair is Professional TOO!

by April Maria Williams

My Hair is Professional TOO! explores the laws that make it legal for an employer to discriminate against African Americans because of the way their hair is styled. This has been a hot button topic over the last decade but has been an issue that many have faced in the workplace since African Americans gained their freedom and after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. As more and more African American man and women are opting to wear their natural hair textures and styles that are akin to African culture, discrimination in the workplace is on the rise. The intent of the book My Hair is Professional TOO!, is to bring awareness to this issue and to propose a solution to the discrimination many African Americans face when they choose to wear hairstyles that are akin to African Culture in the workplace. In light of the Eleventh Circuit ruling in EEOC v. Catastrophe Mgmt. Solutions, and its denial of review by the United States Supreme Court, which ruled that an employer may discriminate against an employee that chooses to wear dreadlocks, and the growing number of African American men and women choosing to embrace their natural hair textures, I found this to be a pertinent issue in America today. The goal of this book is to bring awareness to this issue and for this book to be a starting point for legislatures in their understanding of how these issues affect African Americans, as well as, how best to address this discrimination.

85 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2021

About the author

April Maria Williams received her Juris Doctor from Florida A&M University College of Law and a Master of Tax Law from the University of Houston. Since growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, April has always advocated for what is right. While studying for her undergraduate degree and master’s degree at the University of Toledo, she began to see that her calling was that of a counselor. Not realizing she would enter the legal field, she knew her thoughts and opinions were valued because they spoke the truth and were researched.

Williams is the author of several publications, including her latest book, My Hair Still Is Professional TOO!: Where Are We Now?, which is the highly anticipated follow-up to My Hair Is Professional TOO!, both discussing hair discrimination in American society and globally. She also created the coloring book series The Beauty of Hair in Color, which displays hairstyles akin to African culture in coloring fun for all ages.

She is also a co-author of Our Shades Of Black History: Individual Stories From Black Men & Women From Moments In Time.

Williams is currently a licensed attorney practicing in Texas. She currently works as a Civil Attorney, serving the legal needs of her community. April is passionate about promoting social justice and ensuring that everyone has a fair chance in today’s society.