In 2010, reporter Rochelle Ritchie of WPTV West Palm Beach did a story about Black women and “the big chop.”
For those of you who don’t know, the big chop is a phrase commonly used to describe the haircut a Black woman gets when she decides to go natural and forego chemically straightening her hair. The video is making the rounds again and this is the first time I’ve seen it. I’ve watched a few news stories here and there about the “going natural” trend, but this is honestly one of the best ones. I hadn’t really thought about it in terms of instilling pride into your daughter’s sense of self-beauty, but now I see how that could be a huge motivating factor.
I wanted to see if Ritchie had kept up with her new hairstyle, and after a quick search, I’ve found her current profile from a local CBS affiliate in Baltimore.
Rochelle Ritchie joined WJZ Eyewitness News in June 2012.
Prior to WJZ, Rochelle worked as a reporter at WPTV News Channel Five in West Palm Beach, Fla., shooting, writing and editing her own material. Rochelle says the highlight of her career at WPTV was when she received national recognition for doing an inspiring story about black women deciding to wear their hair natural. Rochelle took the brave step of going natural, cutting off her relaxed hair on television. Rochelle and her story were featured in Essence Magazine, USA Today and on national radio programs NPR and “The Tom Joyner Morning Show.” She continues to receive recognition for that story.
(source)
It’s so great to see that she’s continued to thrive in the industry and still being acknowledged for that story.
I can’t really speak to what it’s like being a Black woman in a professional environment thinking of going natural, but given the importance placed on women to look a certain way, I can only imagine how much more stressful those hurdles are compared to mine. I’ve had jobs where I was told I had to wear my hair back because long hair wasn’t “professional” on a man. HR at my first job in the city had a meeting with me about my hair, saying it was “too big” in its natural state and I should straighten it or braid it to be more “professional.” Both times I talked my way out of changing anything about myself because my choice in presentation was more important than those crappy paychecks if they wanted to fire me, but to be a woman on a career path and then switching it up must be really nerve wracking.
Shout out to all the ladies out there going natural for their own sense of self, hair-health, and/or family concerns. It’s not for everybody, but if it’s something you want to do, go for it! Life is too short to be unhappy living under a beauty standard you don’t want to subscribe to.
>via: http://soletstalkabout.com/post/106927168005/rochelle-ritchies-going-natural-segment-for