A Safe Space for Black Women:

From the time I was a little girl, I enjoyed going to the hair salon. And I will admit it wasn’t for getting my hair done. I enjoyed the salon because it provided a safe place for Black women to share their life stories without judgment. 

It was a place for Black women to share their relationship issues, for comedians to get inspiration, and for the latest Black films to reach their biggest audiences. 

It was nothing to walk into my hair salon and see movies about the depiction of Black hair salons on TV. Shout out to movies like The Salon, Good Hair, Nora’s Hair Salon, Steel Magnolias, and Beauty Shop because they told the stories of Black women’s journeys with their hair. 

But more importantly, the hair salon was where Black women could be authentic. In a society where the “most disrespected person in America is the Black woman,” the Hair salon reminded us to love who we are. 

Malcolm X, in 1964, gave a speech that forever changed how I looked at hair salons and Black women. His first two lines taught me there was no reason not to like who I was and to find beauty in the things others often disregarded. 

X stated, “Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair? Who taught you to hate the color of your skin? …you should ask yourself who taught you to hate being what God made you” (X, 1962). 

With it being Women’s History Month, talking about the power of the Hair salon was right on track with the mission of what this month celebrates. It is not only about commemorating specific women; it’s about celebrating all women who make safe spaces for women to be who they were created to be—themselves!

As I mentioned earlier, I was only sometimes a fan of getting my hair done, as it always took forever. But I was a lover of seeing Black women try different hairstyles. It was like a new hairstyle, bringing out a new version of the same woman I saw weekly at the hair shop. 

Women would get up-dos, weaves, locs, braids, presses, and curls (i.e., the original silk presses), wash n’ go, ponytails, twists, pixie cuts, wigs, and so much more! 

It was powerful to see the transition from the woman who walked into the Shop may be down trotted, tired, and overwhelmed to the woman who left the Shop hopeful, happy, and excited to show off her new do. 

A Place Where Black Women Learn They Are Beautiful:

It was in the Shop that I learned to love my Black hair. The first person that taught me how to take care of my hair was my mother. She cultivated a routine in her household. Every Sunday, I would get my hair washed, blow-dried, and braided for the week. 

And, like clockwork, I would sit in my hairdresser’s chair every two months to get my hair conditioned, pressed and curled, or trimmed to ensure it would grow to its healthiest state. 

But it was watching my mom transform in the beauty shop that I learned to appreciate the texture of the hair I was given. My mother would walk in with a baseball cap or a pulled-back ponytail and be spun around in the chair, leaving with the most beautiful hairstyles.

My mother’s love for the hair shop was taught to her by her mother, who started going to the Shop after moving to the United States from the Caribbean. I can still remember driving into New York for my mother’s wedding day and witnessing her get her hair done for her special day. 

Because the hair shop wasn’t just a place of community, it was also a place that taught you that your hair is beautiful. Unfortunately, we live in a society where Black hair is considered intolerable in many areas. 

And, if you don’t believe me, please research the “Crown Act,” a bill that seeks to ban discrimination against Black Hairstyles. 

The Crown Act coalition’s website teaches us that “Black women’s hair is 2.5x more likely to be perceived as unprofessional.” It is reported that “2/3 of women” change their hair to be considered “acceptable” at their jobs (The Crown Act, 2024). 

But the beauty shop taught Black women that their hair was the best thing since sliced bread. The hair salon taught Black women to own who they are, carry their heads with pride, and see beauty in themselves when they look in the mirror. 

I would be dishonest if I didn’t say that the hair salon doesn’t always get it right. Nonetheless, I can say that the hair salon accepted you for who you were and even created specific salons for all types of Black hair. 

A Space of De-Stigmatization and Acceptance:

Which allowed Black women to receive acceptance for their hair and to de-stigmatize all of the things society tried to say against Black women to count them out. 

The Hair salon has and always will be where any hair style is accepted. It has and always will be where Black women get to try out different characters to see if things look good or if their bangs need to be cut a little more. 

The Shop became a space where everyone could find themselves no matter where they were from. 

From the woman hairdresser who had locs herself and could hook you up with a re-twist to the hairdresser who had the Baddest 613 blonde wig in their hair and knew to use just the right amount of got2b glue to lay the lace down or to the hairdresser who wore her lemonade braids with pride and could make sure you felt like Beyoncé when you walked out of her chair. 

The hair salon removed the shame and disgrace of being who we authentically are. Although some shops have rules that are challenging to comply with in 2024, the salon has always been a safe space where hair is not tolerated but approached with care. 

I keep it real, so some people must handle it more carefully. However, the mission of the Black hair salon is to ensure that Black women leave the Shop feeling like they are on cloud nine. 

And, although many hairdressers will tell you that they are not magicians, with the power of a curling iron, they make a botched at-home haircut look like it just walked off the runways of Paris or Milan. 

Skill is what you get from the hair salon. People trained to give you a service, as it de-stigmatized the idea that college is the only way to success. One of the first millionaires I met was not a Harvard graduate but a Black woman who created a successful chain of hair salons. 

Salons have become a source of hope for those who need creativity and want to step out of the box but still want a form of entrepreneurial spirit. It is in the salon where the customer and merchant receive power. 

The customer is empowered to show up in the world authentically, and the merchant is empowered to bring the visions they have in their heads to life.

Our HAIR: Our RESISTANCE:

And it doesn’t stop there! Hair became a Black woman’s resistance. 

Nourished by Blue Magic and Jamaican Black Castor oil, Black women’s hair became a revolution televised for the masses.

From Angela Davis’ powerful Afro in the 70s to Coretta Scott King’s press & curl in the 60s, to Rihanna’s pixie cut in the 2000s, to Flo Jo’s long flowy tresses in the 80s, to Alicia Keys’ braids in the 90s, Black women have been resistant to society’s “standards of beauty” for a long time.

Showing Black women like me that no matter what my hair looks like, I am the definition of royalty. 

It was in the hair salon that bus boycotts were discussed, financial literacy was addressed, women learned how to cook meals, and women knew how to be something they could never imagine. 

I will always remember watching Poetic Justice and seeing Jessie for the first time. I thought to myself, now that’s a gorgeous hairdresser. But Jessie wasn’t just brilliant at hair. She was intelligent in life experience, helping Justice navigate the relationship issues she experienced with Lucky. 

Ladies, it was the Shop that made the difference for us all! 

Through architects like Annie Malone (Poro Products),  Madam CJ Walker (Madam Walker Hair Products), Sarah Washington (Apex News & Hair Company), Joan Johnson (Johnson Products Company), and Lisa Price (Carol’s Daughter), our televised resistance has birthed a nation of Black women excited about their hair. 

In 2021, Mintel studied Black-owned hair companies, reporting their market shares of 2.5 billion dollars (Martinborough, 2021). 

The salon allowed for the concept of community to be birthed, but most importantly, it helped the Black woman’s journey to see the jewels that lie within themselves: Beauty, Power, and Resistance!

Let me know in the comments below what some of your favorite hair salon moments are. 

I will share some of my own on our Instagram Page and will come back to report on some of our community members’ responses.

Peace & Prosperity, 

Jadis DeShong-Venay

References:

Martinbrough, T. (2021). Black Women Make Waves in Hair Care. The New York Times.

The Crown Act. (2024). Home. The Crown Act. https://www.thecrownact.com

X, Malcolm. (1962). Who Taught You Hate Yourself. Speakola. https://speakola.com/political/malcolm-x-speech-to-black-women-1962