Great Clips charges "Ethnicity Price"

[Curlysaurus]

Click here (http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E53%257E1276139,00.html?search=filter ) for a recent newstory from my neck of the woods in Colorado. A local Great Clips is charging higher prices, i.e., an "ethnicity price," for cutting Black folks' hair. . . :roll: :evil: :mad:

There's a pic of Sophia Burns, the woman suing Great Clips, in the article. Her hair (at least now) is cut very short.

ETA: I don't know if she's relaxed or natural but it still pisses me off!!!!

[naijamodel]

all i have to say is : WHAT THE FREAK???????? :shock:

[tjolims]

Oh My Goodness...I used to work with Sophia! Good for her for taking a stand!

(She is relaxed.) This is completely ridiculous! Do they charge extra for other types of hair? Agh!

[ajargon]

This is really sad! I mean, I know ya'll really need to pray for me, cause I won't go into an establishment like this at all for ANY hair service. I would rather pay the INFLATED black salon price for the peace of mind that someone who shares similar hair traits, and is used to workign with that kind of hair, is working on me! :?

[AfroPuff]

All I have to say is wow!

[Na]

:shock: That's really an outrage.

[bruinhotty]

It is amazing that people don’t realize when they are being racist. I guess the manger thought charging her extra because she was Black was a normal thing to do!!!

[Sister1]

Shades of Denny's eh? Thanks Curlysaurus. I have taken my three year old to Great Cuts Hear in Cali and plan not to do so again out of principle and self-respect.

[Cococure]

Thats crazy!

I mean I can understand charging a bit more for long hair because there is just simply more hair to work with. But to charge more just because you're black?! That's ridiculous and unfair!

[noname]

The nerve...I don't get it with folks nowadays.

[Dee Dee Russell]

Suing their pants off is a fabulous idea!

[khamedra19]

Well, is it more difficult to cut black people's hair into a style? If it is, then I understand them charging more. Miss Burns has a perm and her hair looks like it has a cut that does require a bit of effort.

However, I wouldn't expect to be charged more for having my fro trimmed (no fade and no lining my edges). If I walked into the same shop with my nappy head and voiced my very simple needs. I would question their motives for charging me $10-$15 more.

I think this issue is more so a matter of differing perspectives than it is of outright racism.

[2twisted]

Well, they certainly said it as if it was because of her race. Assuming that was her hair length at the time, I don't even begin to see where she needed to pay an extra $15-20 for her cut. She is relaxed and there are plenty of white girls out there with short wavy/curly do's like that.

It is not automatically more difficult to cut a black person's hair into a style than a white person's. It depends on the hair and the style they want., and there are plenty of white people out there with "difficult" hair. Be it curly or very long or whatever. If those people get charged no more than the top of the normal range, then she shouldn't be either.

What's sad is that there are probably other blacks who have gone there and NOT objected to the additional fee. We are still willing to put up with so much crap it is ridiculous.

[chocol8diva714]

I am SOOOO glad that she handled herself in a calm and repsectable anner....because given the situation and nature of the incidnet I might have had to go CRAZY!!! I am saddened and angered byt the situation but glad that it is given some attention. Yes, racism does exist and people really don't have any problem proving this every single day....I hope she fights this becuase that establishment should not be allowed to discriminate...surely, I know there are white ppl who have "ethnic" textured hair that requires just as much "work" as the so-called "ethnic" :roll: ...they need to get their minds and pockets right because it's going to cost something......

[jmnappy]

Her relaxed hair is no harder to cut than any person of any other race with straight hair.

I'm glad that Ms. Burns took action because that is just blatant discrimination.

This case should be a cinch for Burns' attornies.

[deecoily]

My bf is a hairdresser. He cuts Black and White hair. He's cut my natural hair and my relaxed hair. He says that relaxed hair is no more difficult to cut into a style than European hair. The difference is that relaxed hair is dried first, then cut. European hair is cut wet. But the time difference is minimal. After styling time is about the same if you take into account the pre-blowdrying of relaxed hair and after styling of European hair.

He used to cut my hair when it was relaxed and it took no more time or effort than the hair of any other race.

The only thing that could make it take longer is if there is a lot of regrowth, which makes cutting shape more difficult.

[godivabap]

That is just trifling of them. Hair is hair, and if you advertise your business as a place to get an affordable hair cut, then that is what everyone should get. They had a black stylist in there, they just wanted to get some of those big bucks that they know black women are used to paying at the salon. I would OWN that salon over that mess.

[spacetygrss]

That is ridiculous! :shock: :evil:

[ava1]

Don't blast me :oops: (well I guess it is your right to blast me so flame away :) ) but I can see BOTH side of the issue.

For Ms. Burns: She should not have to pay more just to style than a white person's. If a person's texture is vastly different either get someone who can do the job, admit you can't do it, or charge the same.

For Great Clips: Salons( black and white) have a history of charging more or less based on hair length and hair type. I personally have a friend(biracial) who gets charged more at black salons because she has more hair strands than most people. Dry cleaners even charge women more for oxford shirts even though they are the same as men's by calling them blouses.

Any thoughts?