A tweet by Twitter user @BonKamona has gone viral this week and sparked an international conversation, after she drew attention to the Google Image search results she found when looking up "unprofessional hairstyles for work" and "professional hairstyles for work."
Her post was retweeted more than 10,000 times in less than two days and drew a slew of responses, many of them critical of Google and of the perceived "racism" of the results.
However, others noted that many of the images that appeared in the results for "unprofessional hairstyles for work" linked through to articles and blog posts featuring thoughtful discussion the issue of black women's hair being deemed "unacceptable" for the workplace.
Journalist Andrew Leung of Mic commented: "The argument that the images are being used in a positive light is beside the point; the very existence of these types of articles and social media posts illuminates how black women are discriminated against in the professional sector because of their 'natural' hair. "
In November last year, Bournemouth University graduate Lara Odoffin wrote that an employer had withdrawn a job offer because she wore her hair in braids.