“I can’t trust a white person on my hair because they don’t know how to do black hair,”
on August 4th, 2005 at 11:59 am
These are the words of a customer who gets her hair done at a salon that serves both white and black customers.
First, here is part of the article:
Sheri Newbele-Dunn searched almost nine years for a local salon where she could get a satisfying relaxer and set. She finally found one — through word of mouth — three months ago.
“I used to fly back to Illinois to do my hair twice a year,” she said. “And, sometimes, I would do it myself using box perms.”
Newbele-Dunn’s troubles are typical for black women trying to find a competent hair salon. And, even when they find one, as Newbele-Dunn discovered during her search, it may have so many clients that new customers will have to wait a long time.
Styling salons are among the most segregated of businesses, but hair stylists say it’s not a matter of discrimination but a lack of expertise. Few white stylists know how to do ethnic relaxers, extensions and weaves, and few black women trust them enough to risk a disaster.
Mikki Taylor, beauty director and cover editor of Essence magazine, said black women are huge consumers in the hair market.
“There’s a lack of awareness of the spending power of African-American females when it comes to their hair,” Taylor said. “There are also stylists who lack the expertise and skill to do black hair because they haven’t made it their business.”
“The problem starts with cosmetology schools,” said Asha McLeod, who owns a salon in Toronto that was ranked one of North America’s best by Essence magazine. “It’s not a color thing. It’s a training thing. (more…)
Stories, stories, stories. I think all of us (especially those that are of the darker shade) have plenty of stories of times we got our hair done by either brah-man or Shaquinta. Here is one of my stories when I had my hair done by a Billy Bob—-(sigh) just read!
It was the late 70′s and my family and I had just moved from Philly to New Jersey. At the time our new neighborhood was 99% white and we knew very little of our surroundings. My cousin already prepped me about the move warning me that there will be nightly cross burnings on our front lawn (so much for approaching the situation with an open mind).
Anyway, it was time for a haircut and the only barbershop we knew about in the area was operated by a white man. Long story short, the time came for me to sit in the chair. The barber pauses while staring at my hair. He tells my mom “Man, I haven’t seen hair like this since the war.”
Two words on the end result: Dear Jesus!!
Another story.
By now I was either in my late teens or early twenties. Like most brothas, I found myself in my favorite barbershop every other weekend. On this one particular weekend, I noticed that they had hired a sistah. On the DL, the other barbers were making fun of this girl. Prince Valiant (a.k.a. Me) decides to break up this ugly scene by getting this sistah to do my hair because she did not have a line and my usual barber was backed up with customers. As I approached the chair, I noticed that the other barbers would quickly shake their head in warning in a manner where I would see them, but not her. Before I knew it, sistah-girl was just buzzing away.
Should’ve picked Edward Scissorhands instead.
Don’t get my wife started on this subject.
The point here is that I think that the “word of mouth” form of advertising that is used in the hair care business is the most effective. When you here it from your peeps, you pretty much know what you are getting.
I agree that race does play a big part in who we pick to do our hair, but I really believe that it has a lot more to do with expertise, as the article suggests.
