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Hampton University an historical black college has banned cornrows and dreadlocks for the male buisness students acoording to Virginia’s ABC news station . The mandate, which was put in place in 2001, only applies to a specific group of students enrolled in a leadership course within Hampton’s five-year M.B.A. program.

Sid Credle, Dean of the Business School, believes that the hairstyles will prevent students from securing corporate jobs.

“All we’re trying to do is make sure our students get into the job,” Credle told ABC. “What they do after that, that’s you know, their business.”

Uriah Bethea, an incoming freshman at Hampton who wears his hair in dreadlocks, told ABC– “I don’t think it should matter what the hairstyle. It’s my life. I should be able to do whatever I want to do.”

Push back from disgruntled Hampton students hasn’t wavered Credle’s conviction. When confronted by naysayers, Credle draws from his interpretation of historical ideals of professionalism.

“I said when was it that cornrows and dreadlocks were a part of African American history?,” said Credle.”I mean Charles Drew didn’t wear it, Muhammad Ali didn’t wear it, Martin Luther King didn’t wear it.”

While those historical figures did not wear cornrows or dreadlocks, we’re pretty certain that the hairstyles are deeply rooted in the black community.

Does Hampton’s Dean have it correct are locs and cornows unprofessional?  

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