For people across the globe, this year has not panned out as planned. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brought life as we know it to a screeching halt. Then, the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd brought our community out into the streets amid a pandemic, demanding accountability, change, and an anti-racist society. All of this left little room for Black women to take care of themselves. As the backbone of the Black community, most Black women, regardless of their socioeconomic status, put others before themselves.
With hair salons and beauty supply stores shuttered around the country, Black women weren't even able to indulge in the traditional self-care practice of caring for their hair. While many of us have learned to style and care for our hair at home, going to the salon is a ritual for many. It's an experience that cannot be replaced. Growing up, many Black women spent Saturdays sitting under the hairdryer or anticipating that first look in the mirror as our stylist twisted their fingers and tools in our tresses. Even if the salon wasn't a ritual for you, Black women share a collective memory of sitting between a matriarch's knees, getting our hair plaited, or our scalps greased.
Read more at Mayvhenn Hair.