Crossroads Barber Competition October 5, Indiana

Black Girls Divine Beauty Supply and Salon in Brooklyn

Judian and Kadeian Brown are the owners of  Black Girls Divine Beauty Supply and Salon in Brooklyn. The two women were profiled by the New York Times recently and discussed breaking into the black hair business when so much of the industry is dominated by Korean entrepreneurs.

“I go, ‘Look at all the faces on the boxes,’” Judian Brown told the Times. “Who should be owning these stores?”

Read more of the Brown sisters’ inspiring story:

The Brown sisters’ is one small shop in a multibillion-dollar industry, centered on something that is both a point of pride and a political flash point for black women: their hair. But the Browns are among only a few hundred black owners of the roughly 10,000 stores that sell hair products like relaxers, curl creams, wigs and hair weaves to black women, not just in New York but across the country. The vast majority have Korean-American owners, a phenomenon dating back to the 1970s that has stoked tensions between black consumers and Korean businesspeople over what some black people see as one ethnic group profiting from, yet shutting out, another.

A growing awareness of this imbalance has spurred more black people to hang out their own shingles. The people producing the products have changed, too: As “going natural” — abandoning artificially smoothed hair in favor of naturally textured curls and braids — has become more popular and the Internet has expanded, black entrepreneurs, most of them women, are claiming a bigger share of the shelves in women’s medicine cabinets.

“We’re aware of where our dollars are going, we’re aware of the power of our dollars, we’re aware of the cultural significance of the way that we choose to wear our hair,” said Patrice Grell Yursik, the founder of Afrobella, a popular natural-hair blog. “There’s been a lot of taking back the power, and a lot of that is from the Internet.” Read more.

Black Women Find a Growing Business Opportunity: Care for Their Hair

By VIVIAN YEESEPT. 8, 2014

Photo

Kadeian Brown, left, and Judian Brown own Black Girls Divine Beauty Supply and Salon, off Church Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Credit Kirsten Luce for The New York Times

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Not much seems unusual about Judian and Kadeian Brown’s storefront in a tidy plaza off Church Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn, a neighborhood where every block seems to have its own African hair-braiding salon.

Posters of African-American women with long, sleek hair fill the window. Round jars of shea butter belly up to slender boxes of hair dye on the shelves. Wigs perch on mannequin heads.

What makes Black Girls Divine Beauty Supply and Salon’s visitors do a double-take is the skin color of the proprietors. “I go, ‘Look at all the faces on the boxes,’ ” said Judian Brown, recalling other shopkeepers’ and customers’ surprise when they realize she is not an employee, but the owner. “Who should be owning these stores?”

The Brown sisters’ is one small shop in a multibillion-dollar industry, centered on something that is both a point of pride and a political flash point for black women: their hair. But the Browns are among only a few hundred black owners of the roughly 10,000 stores that sell hair products like relaxers, curl creams, wigs and hair weaves to black women, not just in New York but across the country. The vast majority have Korean-American owners, a phenomenon dating back to the 1970s that has stoked tensions between black consumers and Korean businesspeople over what some black people see as one ethnic group profiting from, yet shutting out, another.

Blackout Monday Movement

 Imagine this? A Black-owned beauty supply store with various products, accessories, and hair extensions, owned, distributed, manufactured, and supported, by African American stylists, barbers, nail techs, estheticians, massage therapists; operating professionally in their GIFT OF HEALING, servicing the ENTIRE person. By having US help OURSELVES, we can begin the move from being just workers or CONSUMERS to being HEALERS, PRODUCERS, INNOVATORS and CONTRIBUTORS of OUR community and society." ~ "Healing Cosmetologist" by Nicole Lee ~ BOOK COMING SOON!!!

 

BEAUTY INDUSTRY SPEED NETWORKING MIXER at CITYSCAPE BAR - CHICAGO

On Saturday September 20th ( 6pm thru 11:45pm ) MetroSalonPro Chicago Resource Guide proudly presents A BEAUTY INDUSTRY SPEED NETWORKING MIXER at CITYSCAPE BAR on the 15th Floor of Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza located at 350 West Mart Center Drive adjacent to Merchandise Mart downtown Chicago.  $25 VIP ADMISSION In Advance.  $40 VIP ADMISSION At The Door  LIMITED SEATING!!!!!  MUST BRING 100 BUSINESS CARDS!!!!!

This is a ground breaking opportunity to create and practice your "30 Second" Pitch, while at the same time gaining valuable connections in Chi-Town's metropolitan Beauty & Barber Industry.  That's right, we all know that practice makes perfect.  So why not master your presentation and meeting skills in a relaxed atmosphere with magnificent, breathtaking views of the Chicago skyline 15 stories high.  Network with more than 50 beauty industry professionals from across the broad spectrum of a culture that is beauty.

PURCHASE ADVANCE TICKETS ONLINE

http://www.speednetworkingindustrymixer.eventbrite.com

For more info call 312.254.5009, email chicago@metrosalonpro.com or visit us online at www.MetroSalonPro.com.

Soul Styles Enterprise

Who is Soul Styles?

Soul Styles Enterprise is a community based company designed to improve local communities by introducing community training, event organization and project management.

What We Do:

Soul Styles are a hair duo whose goal is  to help improve our community with events, hair training and project management for the future of black and ethnic communities. We help black and ethnic families gain access to  businesses information and training. Soul Styles holds networking events to promote  companies and services in selected ethnic communities.

What are your business goals?

 We work alongside local government bodies training single parents, foster caretakers and families that have mixed heritage children.

 Through market research, we have established that there is a very high demand for more information and training from parents/foster caretakers to help maintain and look after their child's hair.

Soul Styles will be holding a Black Hair and Beauty event at which local colleges will be able to showcase  talent in the areas of hair, beauty, fashion as well as music. Shea Cottage,  American Hair Company  and Design Essentials will  also be conducting educational seminars.

Why our we doing this?

We want to improve the lives of people. We believe that our events will bring the community together and improve lives. We aim to guide and nurture families through hair training so they may  gain an understanding of how to improve a child's appearance. It’s a very important part of growing up. 

For more information email Jamila Blair jamila_blair@yahoo.co.uk