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11 Ways Brands & Salon Owners Can Support Black Hairstylists
Naeemah LaFond shares her guide to helping Black hairstylists thrive.
Black beauty pros — including hairstylists and barbers — represent 25 percent of the industry-at-large. Yet, they are grossly underrepresented and face major disparities within the entertainment and commercial industries.
[SEE ALSO: Black Women Make Up Nearly 90% Of Ethnic Hair & Beauty Market]
In the wake of a global pandemic and protests around racism and human rights injustices, conversations around inequalities within the beauty industry are growing.
“We are at a historical moment and I, along with many of my peers, are open to having this conversation so that we can advance as an industry in a way that is a true representation of all of its artists,” said Naeemah LaFond, editorial hairstylist and amika Global Artistic Director, in a recent Instagram post.
With this rise in conversation, she said that colleagues and leaders are now asking how they can do more and better to help level the playing field.
For her, change must start on a personal level as well as extend to professional spaces. “I believe that the first step lies in recognizing the disproportionate lack of access that Black people have to opportunities in this industry which leads to systemic and economic inequalities.”
As part of the solution, she laid out 11 ways a mini-guide and refresher course for salon owners and brand leaders to help Black hairstylists and other Black beauty professionals.
Below is her guide and advice to those decision-makers.
1. Hire Hairstylists
“Hire Black artists as hairstylists on your creative teams. Don’t just put our work your mood boards — put us on the call sheet.”
2. Create Equal Opportunities
“Create equal opportunity. Don’t ONLY hire Black freelancers when you have Black talent/models — we can do it all.”
3. Normalize Seeing Black Creatives
“Normalize Black creatives in the beauty industry and in the editorial world. Publish our work in your magazines and other media platforms.”
4. Normalize Hiring Black leads
“There is a fine line between being an assistant and being a “ghost artist”. Also, don’t only hire Black assistants when you need someone to do braids or prep natural hair for you. Black assistants can also do it all, too. Open the areas of opportunity.”
5. Be Inclusive
“Be INTENTIONAL about inclusivity. We want representation on all platforms — not just the ones you for which you need a Black perspective or Black face. Go out of your way to make it happen.”
6. Black Hairstylists Are Multilayered
“Black hairstylists also have specialties and are multilayered. Recognize that we are also mega influencers, celebrity stylists, film/TV hairstylists, editorial stylists, theater hairstylists, wig specialists, haircutting specialists, hair color specialists, not just experts on Black hair. Allow us to lend our voices to all conversations, whether it be on your panels, educational platforms, or as contributors to your publications.”
7. Hire Black Educators
“Hire Black educators. Put them on your teams, on your stages, and in your video tutorials. We are curriculum writers, content creators, experienced educators, and motivational public speakers.”
8. Add Natural Hair Education To Your Repertoire
“Add natural hair/texture education to your repertoire. As a salon owner, make curl cure and natural texture education mandatory so that your services can be available to anyone who walks into your salon. Seek those educators who specialize in this category to come into your salons to teach.”
9. Create Opportunities For Advancement
“Salon owners: Create space for equal opportunity and advancement within your teams.”
10. All Black Artists Don’t Specialize In Natural Texture
“Understand that because an artist being Black doesn’t automatically mean that they specialize in curl care/natural texture. Some do, some don’t. (See #6). Just as non-Black artists have the creative freedom to do all hair without a label being imposed on them, we want the same respect. Let us tell what our expertise is.”
11. Give Credit Where It Is Due
“Don’t wipe out and discredit our contributions to the beauty industry by renaming and repackaging techniques that we have created or techniques that we have been using for years.”
