A reminder from the Colour World team that October is Black History Month. An important time to recall our promise to the #blacklivesmatter movement and renew a call to action. Yes, we see in UK hairdressing an increase in representation of Afro and Black textured hair, but we are still not where we should be.
Spotted… A collection by Sophia Hilton using Crazy Colour to create a colourful afro collection.
After seeing the collection, we took a moment to ask industry leaders to share their honest opinions surrounding understanding of and working with Afro and Black textured hair. Here’s what salon owner, educator, and leader in business entrepreneurship Sophia Hilton told us:
“I’m not going to lie, I was the first person to say it was unnecessary to learn Afro hair. I’ve heard myself in the past claiming we won’t be able to charge the same amount of money, and that we will never be able to do it ‘better than Black people themselves.”
Sophia owns a successful salon in Shoreditch: Not Another Salon which aims to be as inclusive as possible. So, it is quite a surprise Sophia confesses to her initial opinions. But she wasn’t alone, and arguably many people still feel wary. Perhaps prompted by a historic lack of education and no requirement to work on all hair types in the older incarnations of the education syllabus for NVQ. Let’s hear more from Sophia:
“If there is an excuse, I’ve made it. Although of course at the time, you wouldn’t see it as an excuse, you’d only see it as a ‘logical reason.’ I am not alone and it’s only once you truly delve into the education of Afro hair do you realise… there really is no excuse not to accept everyone that walks through your door.”
It’s great to see Sophia Hilton pushing for greater representation amongst Afro and Black textured hair. In fact, today Sophia and her colleagues Erica Liburd and Mat Surplice run Afro courses at Not Another Academy.
“We are committed to helping people realise that with the right education (which is as much about learning Black history and language as it is about hair) we can change the world to a more inclusive place.”
To book her Afro beginners course click the HERE
We can’t wait to continue to see the growth and representation of Afro and Black textured hair amongst the industry, salons and academies.
Looking for some more colour inspiration? Here you go: INSPIRATION
—————————————–