What kind of world are we really living in, where an individual is prohibited from wearing the hair that naturally grows from their own head, SERIOUSLY?
According to #TheGrio ; A #Mississippi News Anchor is demanding justice after being fired for wearing her natural hair. Brittany Noble Jones, 32 of WJTV News Morning has forwarded complaints against her former boss for wrongful termination. Jones was originally hired in 2015 after receiving exemplary recognition for covering the the murder of #MichaelBrown In #StLouis . Jones received the 2015 emerging Journalist of the Year Award by the National Association of Black Journalists.
Jones states she had no complaints within the early stages of her employment with the station; “In the beginning, it was a normal work environment“ Jones states within an interview with local news. “But after I volunteered to appear in a company-wide promo in March 2017, my boss told me, ‘People here think you’re into yourself’ but he wouldn’t give me specific examples. “
Jones endured a long list of one sided confrontations with her boss from then on in. Stating that many of her news pitches which highlighted racial injustices within the community were over looked and dismissed. Jones boss would conclude their opposition by declaring her news was : “not for all people.” Jones shares her experiences of being pregnant and how she was ultimately pushed to the side. “After announcing that I was pregnant, I was no longer included in commercials. I felt the need to starve myself to fit in. I now weigh only 108 pounds. I did eat while I was pregnant and while carrying my son and postpartum, I wasn’t allowed to represent the station and my events were given away to another white reporter.”
Noble states, after giving birth to her son she began to wear her hair more freely within its natural state. Before then she wore wigs to protect her hair from possible heat damage. Her boss frowned upon her decision and declared it unprofessional. While jones was still within the nursing stage of her new born Son, she was denied adequate breaks to pump milk and was told to do so within the station’s storage room. After forwarding these complaints to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) In spring of 2018, Jones states a recurring supervisor adapted the same behavior as the previous. While Jones was out of work coping with the recent passing of her Grandfather in St Louis, she was fired.
Jones is case is currently on pause due to the government shut down but she’s working virgiously with her legal team investigating the entire ordeal.