A North Carolina teenager is confused and shocked after she was told by her employer, Chick-fil-A, that her hair color was a violation of the company’s dress policy.
Autumn Williams said she believes she was singled out by her superiors and sent home after her braids were deemed an unnatural color.
“She was like, ‘Hey, one of our supervisors came by and said they noticed blonde in your hair, and he asked that you leave and come back when it’s taken out since it’s an unnatural color to you,’” Williams told WJZY-TV.
The 16-year-old who had been working at the Harrisburg Chick-Fil-A for three months said she was surprised and embarrassed.
For starters, Williams’ natural hair is blonde, she said, adding that her braid extensions are light brown and not blond.
“And the guy, when I had orientation, he never said anything about my hair color or it being an issue,” she said.
Even though blond hair is normally associated with people of European descent, some people of African descent are born with blond hair, mostly due to genetic variations.
Hair color is determined by the amount and type of melanin present in the hair. Melanin is the pigment responsible for skin color, hair and eyes. There are two types of melanin: eumelanin, which produces brown to black pigments, and pheomelanin, which produces yellow to red pigments.
Blond hair is typically associated with lower levels of eumelanin and higher levels of pheomelanin. If a person of African descent carries specific genetic variations that reduce eumelanin production and increase pheomelanin production, they may have naturally blond hair.
According to a portion of the Chick-fil-A handbook posted on the television station’s website, hair and nails must comply with local health department requirements.
“Hair must be clean and worn in good taste so as not to be distracting to guests or fellow team members. Hairstyles must be neat and professional in appearance. Unnatural hair colors or eccentric styles (e.g., Mohawks, shaven designs, etc.) are not permitted,” it says.
