"OK for Work"

This zine explores the pervasive issue of hair discrimination in the United States, shedding light on how unfair beauty standards and workplace biases create feelings of fear and exclusion for Black women. Zines, as untraditional and intimate mediums of expression, are designed to provoke thought and offer commentary on life, and this work does so by combining descriptive sketches with incisive social critique.

This project was part of a Psychology of Cultural Diversity course, which focused on Black representation throughout history across multiple media channels. The zine examines how systemic discrimination impacts the daily lives of Black women and critiques the societal structures that enforce these inequities.

The content also highlights the CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), first introduced in 2019 and enacted in 24 states to date. The act aims to ban race-based hair discrimination, promote inclusivity, and protect the rights of Black individuals to wear their natural hair with pride.

Through visual storytelling and social commentary, this zine calls for a world where Black women can live, work, and thrive without the fear of judgment or exclusion based on their natural hair.