DALLAS — Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price sat down with Tashara Parker to share his hair story in this episode of WFAA’s Rooted series. He discusses his public image, and how it's changed through the years. Below is that story.
Tashara: Commissioner John Wiley Price, it's not lost on me that you don't do a whole lot of interviews, so thank you for taking some time to interview with us.
We've been talking about a transgenerational look at Black hair and professionalism, so if you have to talk about Black hair and in your time in public office, has it ever been a concern for you, or has it ever come up in conversation?
John Wiley Price: Oh, it's come up in conversations. It was interesting, a lot of comments, a lot of speaking engagements, when people say well, ‘are you really a County Commissioner with your hair like that?’ Yeah kinda. It just kind of comes with the package now.
I am Commissioner John Wiley Price. And guess what? This is my hair story.
I've had the Afro. You know I've had the beards. I've gone through all of that, but I'm comfortable in where I am.
Tashara: So, you’ve been wearing your hair like this for a really long time. In fact, I saw a picture from 2001 saying, ‘John Wiley Price rocking a new do.’ How did it go over with people when you initially started rocking your twist?
John Wiley Price: It was like, what's happened, is there something in your life that has happened? Why are you doing this? But that's two decades and again, it was just an evolution of where I wanted to go. So, I saw it and I felt as though you know I could in fact be comfortable and I did.
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Tashara: I want to backtrack a little bit and I want you to tell me some of the comments that have been made over the years about your hair. What are some other things that people have said to you about hair?
John Wiley Price: Other than you know well, ‘so why you want to do that? I mean really. I mean, I don't think it quote becomes you,’ OK what becomes me? I can't be concerned about, you know what they're saying and so and I've had people from other places, even said, you know, ‘I can't believe you are a County Commissioner with that hair they look like that. They let you?’ The last time I checked I was definitely over 21 and I was grown. It’s interesting.
So Black hair is probably the epitome of who you are. I can pretty much look at your hair and tell something about you and that's what I want to do. I’m comfortable I'm gonna keep saying in my skin. I'm comfortable in my hair, you know that's it.
Tashara: If you had to explain Black hair discrimination to someone who is not Black, how would you help them understand some of the things that people are facing in the workplace?
John Wiley Price: That would probably be a real challenge, but I used to tell young people, my hair is twisted and not my brain. But in terms of texture and how you doing, as long as you're able to perform, as long as you represent me mentally in a way that I can be proud of. That's pretty much the end of it.