Enjoy your stylist at your favorite Black salon! According to the Washington Post, your stylist -- and your salon -- might not be around much longer. Sure, the recession is making it hard for African American-owned salons to prosper, but there's another culprit: Drastic changes in hair trends...
Enjoy your stylist at your favorite Black salon! According to the Washington Post, your stylist — and your salon — might not be around much longer. Sure, the recession is making it hard for African-American-owned salons to prosper, but there’s another culprit: Drastic changes in hair trends. As more women trade-in relaxers and weaves for natural hair and wigs, “Black salons no longer corner the market in Black haircare,” says the Post. Displaced Black stylists are seeking work at white or multi-cultural salons, and women are finding that White stylists can also create sleek blowouts. Many women are returning to their African-American stylist only when they need relaxers! But according to some, the disappearance of the Black salon is robbing women of a rich cultural experience. “You are erasing culture… history… and a way African-Americans have socialized with each other for decades,” said Charles Gallagher, a white Sociology Professor at La Salle University. “[At White salons] you don’t learn about culture, gender, or politics of the community.” Would you go to a White hairstylist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!