When Whistling Vivaldi Isn't Enough: Stereotype Threat Developed from Black Male Hairstyles in Public Spaces
By Christopher Gulley
Brent Staples, NY Times Editor, was a graduate student at the University of Chicago studying Psychology when he learned incontinently that his mere presence was a threat. He noticed that whenever he was walking alone down a sidewalk—especially at night—white people would immediately become uncomfortable. Sometimes avoiding eye contact and at other times crossing the street. He soon realized that he was being stereotyped and perceived as a possible threat. It was no surprise to him, but certainly a disappointment, considering he was a student earning his PhD, and not a menace. As a way of combating being viewed through the gaze of a negative stereotype, Staples learned that when he whistled Vivaldi (Classical music composer), he is then seen as a regular graduate student at the university and not a threat. When I learned about Brent Staples’ story I IMMEDIATELY thought about what this may look like for a Black male who chooses to wear natural hairstyles in public spaces (work, school, organizations, church, etc.) and how the stereotypes about black hair can develop into stereotype threats.
What is stereotype threat?
Claude Steele, social psychologist, wrote “Whistling Vivaldi…” a book (title inspired by Staples’ story) that examines stereotypes and stereotype threat and how this phenomenon may affect the way people perform in certain situations. Stereotype threat, simply put, is the idea that you may not perform to the best of your ability if you are constantly worried about confirming negative stereotypes about your identity. Whenever you are in a situation where a negative stereotype is relevant to you—Black with natural hair, Black and athletic, etc.—and you care about doing well you may experience stereotype threat and this could be the source of underperformance.
What does stereotype threat look like for Black men with natural hair in public spaces?
Because we know that there are many stereotypes about Black hair and natural hairstyles, it can be presumed that these stereotypes definitely have negative effects on the ways people may perform. Stereotype threat for Black males may result in underperforming in an academic setting or on a sports team due to policies in place that are stemmed from systemic racism. Mbilishaka and Apugo (2020), state that sometime policy lacks the language around the surveillance and regulation of Black hair in public spaces, which makes it hard to articulate how stereotypes of Black hair re impacting and contributing to active and passive forms of oppression in organizational structures
The two most notable stories in recent years that are relevant to African American males wearing natural hair styles in public spaces and stereotypes are the stories of Andrew Johnson and Deandre Arnold. Johnson was a high school wrestling student In North Carolina who was forced to cut his locs before a wrestling match because his hair covering did not meet uniform policy. Arnold was given the ultimatum of cutting his hair or not participating in school functions (two being Prom and Graduation). He chose not to cut his hair. This action was met with much disdain, causing Arnold to even be put into in-school suspension. I can only imagine the stereotype threat that was developed by both Johnson and Arnold because of these actions. Johnson perhaps not wrestling his best during his match, and Arnold not performing in school.
How can we combat this phenomenon?
If we know that stereotype threat is an issue and causes underperformance a solution would be to create a form of identity safety. Creating identity safety provides a space where people will not have to worry about being seen through a gaze of a negative stereotype, and trust that they will not have a negative experience because of a certain identity. In academic settings, making someone feel identity safe is showing that all identities are valued through conversation, representation, and policy. Removing the negative stereotypes about black hair is one of the ways to shift public perception. This means changing the ways natural Black hair is discussed, owning the language surround Black hair and disseminating the knowledge we have about Black hair aesthetics.
Sources:
Afiya M. Mbilishaka & Danielle Apugo (2020) Brushed aside: African American women’s narratives of hair bias in school, Race Ethnicity and Education, 23:5, 634-653, DOI: 10.1080/13613324.2020.1718075
Steele, Claude. (2010). Whistling Vivaldi : and other clues to how stereotypes affect us. New York :W.W. Norton & Company,
Christopher Gulley is a published author, mental health propagandist, professional funeral goer, and storyteller.