ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Woman Refuses to Leave Tip at Salon Over Racial Discrimination; Shares Experience in Viral Video

A 2023 study found that race-based hair discrimination is a widespread issue for Black women
PUBLISHED MAR 30, 2024
Image Source: TikTok | @realgsimone
Image Source: TikTok | @realgsimone

From dissatisfaction with tips to working conditions, several factors have recently been seen influencing staff behavior at salons. But recently, a TikTok user shared an unpleasant experience at a hair salon which has sparked off a conversation around discrimination against Black women. The user named Giordan Simone (@realgsimone) shared how a staff misbehaved with her just because she had curly, wavy hair which led to her not leaving a tip for the worker.

Representative Image | Unsplash | Photo by Adam Winger
Representative Image | Unsplash | Photo by Adam Winger

Simone said she went to the salon to get her hair done and everything was going fine at the beginning. However, she noticed that the Hispanic woman, who was serving her wasn’t happy with working her hair as she had 4C hair type. According to L’Oreal, this type of hair is a mix of waves, coils, and zigzags.

While Simone admitted that “It does take a little extra effort to do my hair in its entirety,” service providers at salons aren’t supposed to misbehave, which was the case with this worker. “She was making comments like, ‘oh my god,’ huffing and puffing,” Simone said in the video.

Image Soure: TikTok | @realgsimone
Image Soure: TikTok | @realgsimone

Soon things got worse when the hairdresser began complaining about Simone’s hair to other staff. The TikToker said that the worker started speaking in Spanish assuming that Simone won’t understand. Unfortunately for her, Simone spoke the language and understood her making sly comments.

Simone didn’t call the woman out on the spot but the discrimination made her uncomfortable. She said that such comments could have deeply affected someone else who might have taken steps to change their look entirely.

“She could have done that to the wrong person with 4C hair, and that might have made that person go get a perm. That might have made that person go get a keratin treatment,” Simone said.

Image Source: TikTok | @realgsimone
Image Source: TikTok | @realgsimone

Simone said at the end of the session, which turned out to be worth $60, she thought of leaving the hairdresser with a small tip of $2. However, she felt that the actions of the worker did not deserve a tip after all. “One, you’re not going to disrespect my hair texture, and two, you’re not going to disrespect my intelligence because you think that I don’t understand you,” Simone said.

Viewers on Simone’s video also shared how they had gone through similar discriminatory experiences. One user named CiCi said that she too went to get a Dominican blowout at a salon where the worker started huffing and puffing while working on her hair. However, CiCi replied to the worker in Spanish which shocked her.

Image Source: TikTok | @realgsimone
Image Source: TikTok | @realgsimone

Another user named Valerbearr on TikTok said that when she went to get her hair done, her stylist wasn’t satisfied with the $20 tip she had left. She said the worker was still a student and she didn’t even have a license yet.

Image Source: TikTok | @realgsimone
Image Source: TikTok | @realgsimone

Simone’s case shows how black women have historically faced discrimination over their natural hair. A 2023 CROWN Workplace Research study found that race-based hair discrimination is a widespread issue for Black women in the workplace as well.



 

The study found that black women’s hair was 2.5 times more likely to be seen as unprofessional and over two-thirds of the women surveyed said that they had to change their hair for a job interview to be successful.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The sharks did not expect the product to taste as good as it did, considering what it was made from.
5 hours ago
The designer was also commissioned by top brands and worked for the royal family.
6 hours ago
The host had a look of bewilderment on his face which was absolutely hilarious.
7 hours ago
Things did not seem to be going well for the entrepreneur due to her high energy.
10 hours ago
The guest might have had high expectations, but they were quickly brought down to earth.
11 hours ago
The contestant was unable to contain her excitement and hugged the model.
1 day ago
Two of the players got it right, and while the player who lost didn't mind, fans were not satisfied.
1 day ago
Lisa celebrated her birthday in style with a perfect two-card guess to win the big prize.
1 day ago
Rick Harrison did what he could to console the guest who said that he had lost faith in NASCAR.
1 day ago
Both the guest and the expert were fascinated by how well the automaton worked.
2 days ago
One of the entrepreneurs broke down in tears, explaining all the struggles they had to go through.
2 days ago
She couldn’t believe it when her doll was appraised at a five-figure sum, and laughed in disbelief.
2 days ago
Ken Jennings truly has embraced "Jeopardy!" in every way possible at this point.
2 days ago
The comedian was impressed by the simplicity of the product and amused by the pitch.
3 days ago
Harrison usually makes smart deals on the show, but this vintage car buy turned into a costly mistake.
3 days ago
Had she started the game in a better way, she might have won the five-figure prize money.
3 days ago
Barbara Corcoran made the exact same offer, and she wasn't happy about being rejected.
4 days ago
The guest believed that it was worth a modest amount of money, but that was clearly not the case.
4 days ago
With James Holzhauer in the lead, Amy Schneider and Andrew He decided to joke around.
4 days ago
Barbara Corcoran told the founders that she had never seen Greiner so passionate.
4 days ago