It’s no secret that the hairstyling industry is still a highly segregated space. Despite the fact that an estimated 65 percent of the U.S. population has curly, coily, or wavy hair (according to a 2018 TextureTrends from Naturally Curly), there is an alarming lack of exposure on how to style, cut, and color textured hair in most traditional cosmetology school curriculums — resulting in racial segregation in hair salons nationwide.
It’s a pressing issue that led industry activist and educator Keya Neal—who’s also the force behind the Texture vs. Race movement — to launch a digital education event called repHAIRations, that delivers equitable hair education to the Black community. During its debut last fall, the event provided education to over 900 Black stylists at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown and the Black Lives Matters movement. Now, repHAIRations is set to make a comeback on November 1st via live streaming and we honestly couldn’t be more excited!
Teaming up with a slew of hair brands including Schwarzkopf, Joico, SalonCentric, Bumble & Bumble, Mizani, Redken, the two-day event will offer technician education to the historically underserved Black community in addition to cutting, coloring, and textural education as well as inclusion and diversity coaching to non-Black stylists to better prepare them for working with a culturally diverse clientele.
“While there is no shortage of ‘straight hair education,’ there is a shortage of this education reaching the Black community,” the event shared in their press release. “We intend to educate the Black/brown community at the same rate we are educating the white market.”
Stylists who attend this year’s event will be treated to a stacked lineup that includes multi-ethnic artists, educators, seasoned stylists, and influencers. The current repHAIRations curriculum is set to feature Genia Church of Schwarzkopf: Elevated Color Melting Techniques for All Textures; Leticia McKay & Brandon Corbitt of Joico: Balayage & Color Correct with Ease; Christiaan Van Bremen of Bumble & Bumble: The Bumble Approach: Razor Cutting; Brenda Amaral of True Education: True Chemistry: Ingredients; Cassandra Platinum and Jamal Edmonds of Mizani and Redken; Daniel Mason-Jones of Salon Centric; and Jeannetta Walker-Rodgers of Alfaparf.
Trust us, when we say that this is one event that you definitely won’t want to miss! All Black stylists are invited to register for free through their equitable education program by filling out this application. Currently, tickets are priced at $104 and available for purchase here. Additionally, the price of your ticket will be donated to further support Black communities through organizations that support the civil rights of Black stylists.
To learn more about and register for the repHAIRations event, be sure to visit their official website or follow @therephairations on Instagram.
