Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz says pressure to straighten her curly hair followed her throughout her career

""They would say, you're going to have to get a haircut and you've got to just have more manageable hair - a more professional look," Wasserman Schultz, now 59, recalled during Monday's episode of " We Are Spiraling," a new podcast about curly hair by former journalist Priya Anand, who has curly locks herself. Although Wasserman Schultz decided to go with a new, more manageable hairstyle, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee said she refused to succumb to a straight iron."

"Wasserman Schultz's experience reflects a broader bias against women with hair like hers in professional settings, research shows. A 2023 study from Lindenwood University in Missouri found that straight-haired women were rated significantly higher than curly-haired women on job characteristics that are important to professional positions. Black women are especially likely to face bias when they don't straighten their hair."

Wasserman Schultz was urged by older women, when in her mid-20s and preparing to run for the Florida State House, to "do something" about her curly hair and adopt a more manageable, professional look. She chose a more manageable hairstyle but refused to straighten her natural ringlets. She faced public mockery, including being called "Frizzilla" and having her hair described as "ramen noodle-like" and "usually out of control." Research documents a broader bias against curly and natural hair in professional settings. A 2023 Lindenwood University study found straight-haired women rated higher on job-relevant characteristics. A 2021 study found Black women with natural hairstyles perceived as less professional, less competent, and less likely to be recommended for interviews.

Read at Business Insider