‘With Naturalistas Under Fire’ Atlanta Anchor Reps for Natural Hair Movement

*As previously reported, Brittany Noble, a Black news anchor from Jackson, Mississippi, has detailed the workplace discrimination she endured, which eventually led to her dismissal.

In a Medium post, which has gone viral, Noble reveals specific instances where she had to navigate through a toxic environment at CBS affiliate WJTV, and it prompted her to file several HR complaints. One such complaint was lodged after a supervisor commented on her natural, curly hair, saying it looked “unprofessional”

After detailing how she was canned for having natural hair, an Atlanta news anchor decided to show solidarity to the natural sistas in media who are combating discrimination, blavity.com reports.

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With naturalistas under fire in the news industry, I am PROUDLY representing what many Black woman look like in their every day life … on this anchor desk. Good Morning, Atlanta. Tune in NOW. ?? Protecting my hair and my peace. #MorningRushATL pic.twitter.com/M9NiJpNFDo

— Francesca Amiker (@FranTVHost) January 18, 2019

Francesca Amiker of 11 Alive posted a message across all of her social media platforms proudly off her natural hair on January 18.

“After announcing that I was pregnant, I was no longer included in commercials,” Noble wrote on Medium. “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 said the station called her hair “unprofessional.”

“I was told my natural hair is unprofessional and the equivalent to him throwing on a baseball cap to go to the grocery store. He said, ‘Mississippi viewers needed to see a beauty queen.’ He even asked, ‘why my hair doesn’t lay flat.'”

Amiker was inspired by Noble’s story and noted how she’s now in the mindspace of “protecting my hair and my peace.”

“With naturalistas under fire in the news industry, I am PROUDLY representing what many Black woman look like in their every day life … on this anchor desk. Good Morning, Atlanta. Tune in NOW. ? Protecting my hair and my peace. #MorningRushATL [sic], ” Amiker wrote.

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It’s sad that our protective hairstyles protect us MORE than our own workplaces. •••••• For any woman to not feel adequate or feel as though she is forced to alter her appearance to be accepted by America’s lopsided view of beauty, know that your 4c kinks are merely the unique crown that God gifted to you ? . Black women are gorgeous and we come in alllll different ways which is why I choose to rock multiple natural hairstyles on-air daily. There are young girls and much older women who see they’re hair represented on local news and go ‘Damn, I AM enough!’ I refuse to fry my hair just so you will feel ‘comfortable.’ If I want to wear my natural hair, a protective style or anything in between, I will. My hairstyle does not alter the mind and brains underneath it. Representation matters and more people need to see our #naturalhair in the workplace… NOT just on vacation.

A post shared by FRANCESCA AMIKER (@frantvhost) on Jan 18, 2019 at 8:34am PST