Commonly described as kinky or coily hair, the hair type most commonly associated with the crowns of our most beautiful black counterparts and community members has been in the spotlight for most important reasons. When seen and described through the biased lens of the white hairdressing community and culture, textured hair has long been misunderstood and misrepresented as difficult, unmanageable, and unkempt.
This mentality grossly fails to give place to the gloriously versatile and beautiful curl texture known to "white" people as black hair. The hair industry has long done a fine job of upholding the insidious racism and anti-blackness that wreaks havoc on every system in American culture, including the hair one.
Starting at basic education levels, the majority of cosmetology schools that tout themselves as "prestigious," fail to give one iota of time or attention to textured hair, let alone black humans. Further advertising, education, marketing, and segregation in hair salons have continued to keep black and white hairdressers and clients alike from coming together in close contact over hair.
As a result, black humans have never consistently been seen or cared for by white hairdressers and the majority of hair salons. This beautiful texture and these beautiful humans deserve not to be made invisible and ignored by the hair community under false notions of "different, other, or hard.".
Ginger & Maude® (formerly Ginger Salon) seeks to both learn AND teach the humans we encounter to fight racism and anti-blackness - by demonstration. While its earliest efforts will only scratch the surface of the knowledge, the stories, the experiences, the pride, the celebration, and the culture of black hair, Ginger staff members commit to uplifting the haircare community at large by learning to care for the Black and Brown HUMANS for which this beautiful textured crown rests upon.
In light of the movement to better understand and fight against the stagnant culture that continues to uphold segregation in hair salons, Ginger & Maude went in search of a platform to cooperate with black hairdressers to better care for the growing and mighty Black community that has a long and rich history in the Rose City. Portland's social justice community asks white people to teach their white counterparts.
On June 19th, 2021, Ginger & Maude was most proud to host social justice warrior (and hairdresser) Curry of Bead + Cowrie from Nashville, Tennessee to share their revolutionary, industry-changing, and MOST anticipated education program- Black Beauty School.
In the quest to stay in its own lane and elevate the voices of black clientele and hairdressers, Ginger & Maude does not intend to claim to be experts in textured hair, but rather to provide the equivalent of services that have long been offered in the majority of salons pertaining to basic white haircare.
In an effort to partner with the larger hair community across racial lines, Ginger & Maude seeks to recommend and support black-owned businesses and educators for clientele seeking services unique to textured hair and black culture. Ginger staff will forever be in awe of -and seeking the discomfort that comes with- the learning and breaking down of racial barriers in both our creative spaces and larger world around us.
Please contact Ginger & Maude to see how you can be a part of the movement to elevate melanated voices in Portland's BIPOC community.
Learn more about Black Beauty School, visit their website.