Curly Hair Curse

A disability combined with my desire to put my daughters first, kept me out of the job market for a time. Then the girls grew up and the disability healed. During the time out, however, techology had changed, while my career skills had not. So a year ago I went back to school. Alas! I've since learned that the studying (even though my cumulative G.P.A. is 3.86) may make no difference. The problem (according to a recent MSN career article and a couple other articles that I've read) is that everyone knows that women with curly hair are irresponsible and unreliable. One lady, in protest of such stereotypical assumptions, has begun wearing her curls in a pony-tail (as opposed to the tight bun that got her the job).
The article reminded me of my high school days. There was my little sister with the perfect strawberry blonde hair hanging neatly in a controlled and flowing mane and me with the uncontrollable mop. (That's me in the photo that Nelson took last week). I remember Mom would sometimes pick out the mass of tangles at the nape of my neck for me. I've thought about cutting it, but then it gets even more unruly. And I don't want to spend my days fussing with straighteners.
Actually now that there's wonderful stay-in conditioners and such things to make curl care more manageable, I've pretty much made peace with my locks. Mom helped; she thought both of us girls were beautiful (ahhh! Mothers!). I haven't, however, made peace with the authors of these career articles.
Suggest buns and ponytails for a more professional image, but please don't tell us that curly hair projects irresponsibility. Don't make us helpless victims. Job seekers can't do much about the texture of their hair, nor can they add to their stature, change their gender or the color of their skin. We can, however, be punctual, and add career and academic skills. Put the focus on the things that can be changed, not the things that can't.