“We are who we are. We can’t change our natural selves.”
This is Akua Agyemfra, a 20-year-old humanities student at York University in Toronto, Canada.
Akua Agyemfra
She recently got a job as a server at a Jack Astor’s restaurant in Toronto.
Stephen Wong / Via facebook.com
She was on her third day of training last Tuesday when she said she was sent home for wearing her hair in a bun much like this one.
Akua Agyemfra
Agyemfra had just begun her training session when she said the assistant general manager of the restaurant told her she was not allowed to wear her hair in a bun, citing company policy. She said the manager explained it must be worn straight down.
Agyemfra said the manager said she expected servers to « look like you're going to the club, not coming from one. »
She said she took her hair out in the manager's office to show that her natural hair couldn't fall straight. But she said the manager still sent her home.
« I was like, 'Ok I understand' and I just left, » she said.