A Banana Republic employee, Destiny Tompkins is telling her side of the story of how she was discriminated against for her hair.
In her now viral Facebook post, Tompkins shared how her white hirer up managers at Westchester Mall in New York told her she needs to change her hair because it’s too “urban.” After the district manager came for a visit, her manager Michael pulled her into the back. He started by questioning her about the store’s dress code and then he switched topics and started questioning Tompkins about her hair.
Tompkins hair is in box braids, which apparently is “too ‘urban’ and ‘unkempt for [Banana Republic’s] image,” Tompkins wrote on Facebook. Her manager Michael then went as far as to tell Tompkins that if she didn’t change her hairstyle he would stop scheduling her shifts.
Tompkins tried to explain to Michael how box braids aren’t just a style choice, but also a way for her to protect her hair. “[My hair] tends to became really brittle in the cold, he recommended that I use shea butter for it instead.”
After she was discriminated against for her hairstyle she felt so “humiliated” and “degraded” that she left her shift early. But now looking back at this horrible account of discrimination, Tompkins is using her experience to expose Banana Republic for it’s white image.
According to Teen Vogue, Banana Republic released a statement addressing the issue, but not what the company policy is on braids and “urban” hairstyles. They denounced the discrimination and say that they are “committed to upholding an inclusive environment.”
