NAHA winner for educator of the year, curl specialist and Texture Vs Race founder, Keya Artistically Neal, is bringing her MisEducation Tour to Chicago. Referencing Lauryn Hill’s iconic solo debut album, the MisEducation of Texture Tour is traveling the United States hosting networking meet-ups to curate connections over food, spotlight texture hair demos, and foster space for insightful panels.
Prior to the 2024 election, the tour had made stops in Maryland and Texas, with Neal, members of the Texture Vs Race Collaborative, and local partners helping to move the salon professional in an inclusive direction and promote the Texture Vs Race Summit which will return to Baltimore in May 2025.
Post-election, Neal has found a renewed sense of urgency for her work. “I believe now more than ever, with the impending climate, it’s important for us to reinforce our mission and messaging. We are for people! We are here to help create safe spaces where everyone — particularly Black people — can be protected and welcomed,” says Neal. She adds, “It’s important to know who is who. Now that the gloves are coming off and you can’t hide or be fooled by performative actions, it’s important to fully and intentionally align with those who are willing to take a stand with action.”
Neal has been working tirelessly to make the salon professional industry more inclusive, for years, assembling the best of the best educators and providing hands-in hair education for those wanting to work with the full spectrum of hair textures, now in cities across the country. For those who share the vision, Neal argues the upcoming MisEducation of Texture Tour stop in Chicago is worth it, saying, “Doing your work, being intentional about where you spend your time, money, and energy is the only blue bracelet you need” — a reference to a social media “trend” among primarily white women to signal a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris over the new President-elect Trump.
What You Need to Know About Chicago
- Day and Time
- November 18th, 2024 from 11:00AM to 2:00PM CST
- Location
- Row 24
- 2411 South Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
In addition to Neal and Texture vs Race Collaborative Members Adrienne A.J. Small and Jamez Smith, attendees can expect to meet the founders of Essations, Stephanie Luster, and Blonde Solutions, Aymen and Lea Eldabli. Neal says, “the goal of this event is to give salon professionals a taste of the Texture Vs Race experience and curate spaces across the country that encourage stylists and team members to celebrate all textures and build community!”
Buy tickets for the Chicago TVR tour stop here. A ticket provides admission to the event, food, drinks, education, swag and more.
Upcoming Tour Stops
- New York on December 9th, 2025
- Atlanta on December 16th, 2025
- Los Angeles, TBD
- Miami, TBD
For more information about Keya Neal be sure to follow her on Instagram. And for real time updates from Texture vs Race, including the TVR ’25 Summit, check out their website and social media.
