I might have to teach differently because teaching a Black girl how to braid, or how to care for their natural hair, they know what it feels like. And when you start inviting neighbors to the party, you have to change all the language. “But my goal, my vision, was to keep this safe space for Black girls. “I have hairdressers in Ireland, moms who have mixed kids, or White families with adopted African children. “I don’t want to leave anybody out, but this space is specifically for that girl Black girls that did not learn how to braid,” Niani says.
#BRAID SHOP NEAR ME FREE#
And the vibe is positive and inviting in this judgement free zone where Black women can support and encourage each other. Because the sessions are on Facebook Live, they’re interactive, where Niani reads questions from students and responds in real time. The one-hour classes are held twice a week, Thursday at 9pm and Saturday at 1pm. So that just made me feel so good that I could support them on that.”įor only $5 a class Black women and girls from all over can learn proper parting, basic plaiting, and how to execute cornrows ranging from basic to styles with intricate details. We have artwork with the different generations styling each other’s hair, and they just want to feel that bond, and feel that special moment. I had moms in the group who just wanted the opportunity to bond with their children, and do their hair.
“And a lot of women are just saying how they’ve always felt bad or felt ashamed that they didn’t understand their hair, or didn’t know how to do their hair. It’s definitely a part of our culture, and everyone should have the opportunity to learn,” says the 31-year-old entrepreneur. “I don’t want anybody to feel like in order to be Black, you have to know how to braid, but it is a cool skill. Little girl getting her hair twisted by her mom. Those jokes about “revoking her Black card” might seem harmless on the surface, but the issue can go deeper than just jokes-especially when women have children. She also understands the feelings of shame and guilt that Black women can feel when they don’t know how to braid by a certain age. By Monday she put up the Facebook group and A Safe Space For Black Girls Who Never Learned How to Braid was born.Īs someone who learned to cornrow on herself at the age of 12 using a book borrowed from a friend, she understands the importance of knowing how to execute the culturally significant style. The Friday after the governor of Michigan officially called a stay-at-home order, she solidified the idea. With a need to continue to provide for her family, and also service her clientele (who were still sending hair appointment requests), she immediately came up with the idea to set up the class as virtual sessions. But that vision quickly took a setback when the coronavirus pandemic caused a statewide shutdown just days before her class was due to launch.
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