Black History

African American Hair Care Exhibition Is A Crowning Achievement for Mosaic

Published

7 years ago

August 9, 2018

Ebony Brown worked quickly on a client as another one sat patiently with conditioner on her hair. The hands of the 29-year-old stylist led a choreographed beauty routine so familiar to African American women it has been a cultural touchstone for generations.

“I’ve been doing hair since I was 10-years-old,” Brown said. “I was tender-headed and didn’t want anyone to do my hair, so I started doing it myself. People would ask, ‘Who did your hair?’ That’s how I became a stylist.”

The “Don’t Touch My Crown” exhibit at The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock captures the unique significance of hair for African American women.

“We had been speaking casually as a staff about doing an exhibition on hair almost two years ago, but the idea really took off when we did a collaborative exhibit with the ESSE purse museum on African American women and their accessories,” said Christiana Shutt, the center’s executive director. “We displayed a small iron comb (like the ones used to press hair) with the accompanying heating unit. I was standing near the entrance of the exhibit on opening night, and I noticed that every African American woman who walked in the door immediately recognized the comb and then had to share some memory about the experience of getting her hair pressed.”

Shutt and her team sourced items from Henry Linton at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Trammel’s Beauty Supply in Pine Bluff, and Velvatex College of Beauty Culture in Little Rock as well as some items from the Museum’s collection.

The two pioneers of African American hair care are featured in the exhibit, Annie Malone and Madame C.J. Walker. Malone started making beauty products and training women around the world to sell. She opened Poro College in St. Louis as the headquarters for her business. Madame C.J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove, was introduced to Malone when she moved to St. Louis. In time, Walker parlayed a line of shampoos and creams she created into the successful enterprise that resulted in her recognition as America’s first African American millionaire.

According to Nielsen, African American women spend more than seven-billion-dollars annually on their crowns which is nine times more than other women . Competitions and shows like those hosted by the Bronner Brothers in Atlanta are legendary and highlight the latest trends. And, cosmetic companies with a traditionally white customer base vie for a segment of the market.

“This was the beginning of the unfolding of a sad story.” Connie Curry, Black Hair Care Sales and Marketing Consultant

“By the end of year 2000, many black owned manufacturing companies and beauty supply stores had either been sold or gone out of business,” says Connie Curry, a sales consultant with more than 25 years of experience in the hair care industry. “This was beginning to an unfolding of a sad story. At one time, black owned beauty supply stores were known as the beacon and headquarters to gain knowledge on what to use on black hair.”

Styles like the Gheri Curl, made popular by superstar Michael Jackson, required several products and retail drug stores began stocking them in special aisles for African American consumers. According to Curry, Korean-owned beauty supply stores followed, offering products for African Americans, and stores owned by African Americans began to diminish.

“While black beauty supply stores were diminishing, so were black owned manufacturing companies,” she explains. “Today, very few mainstream companies, approximately 5% are black owned. While 70% beauty supply stores are owned by Koreans. Most businesses have been purchased by white and other ethnic companies.”

The natural hair movement is the latest chapter in African American hair care. But, regardless of how it’s styled, a woman’s hair is still her “crown.” At Mosaic, it is celebrated in all its glory.

The “Don’t Touch My Crown” exhibit at Mosaic runs through the end of August. As Shutt said, we knew we were “definitely onto something different and exciting which would encourage people to see more of themselves and their stories in our exhibits.”

Black History

Trump Signs Executive Orders That Will Impact HBCUs and Black Schoolchildren

Published

12 hours ago

April 24, 2025

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and establish a White House Initiative on HBCUs to “deliver high-quality education to a growing number of students.”

According to the White House, the Initiative will help develop private-sector partnerships, institutional development and workforce preparation in technology, health care, manufacturing and finance.

The president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Dr. Harry L. Williams said, “Today’s executive order serves as strong reaffirmation of President Trump’s support of investment of historically Black colleges and universities. This executive order should serve as a call-to-action for corporations, foundations, members of Congress and state lawmakers to redouble their efforts to support HBCUs and their students. TMCF looks forward to continued engagement with the administration and Congress to deliver results for HBCUs and the students they serve via appropriations and other legislative actions.”

On the same day, Trump signed another executive order that removes safeguards for African American schoolchildren by eliminating an Obama-era initiative to protect Black schoolchildren from excessive disciplinary action.

During the Obama administration, the first Black president’s administration created guidelines that sought to prevent school discipline from having a disproportionate effect on minority students. Trump revoked the civil rights initiative during his first term and Biden did not formally restore it.

At his signing today, Trump said his decision was especially important to the current Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who held the signed order.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, schools were forced to consider equity and inclusion when imposing discipline,” McMahon said in a statement. “Their policies placed racial equity quotas over student safety – encouraging schools to turn a blind eye to poor or violent behavior in the name of inclusion.”

She added, “Disciplinary decisions should be based solely on students’ behavior and actions.

Studies show that Black students are punished more often than their white counterparts.

Black History

President Jimmy Carter Appointed the First Black Woman to Lead a Federal Agency

Published

4 months ago

January 9, 2025

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President Jimmy Carter advanced opportunities for African Americans throughout his life,
advocating for justice and peace consistent with the Christian values he embraced. Since his
death on December 29 at age 100, Mr. Carter’s praises have been sung from his home state of
Georgia to points around the globe. And while the former president’s one-term in the White
House is dismissed by some political pundits for a lack of policies or accomplishments that
changed the course of history, his character and integrity set him apart.

Carter became the first president to appoint a Black woman head of a federal agency. He chose
Patricia Roberts Harris to lead the Housing and Urban Development when he took office in
1977.

Harris said, “I feel deeply proud and grateful this President chose me to knock down this barrier, but also a little sad about being the ‘first Negro woman,’ because it implies we were not
considered before.”

Senator William Proxmire questioned Carter’s choice, saying Harris came from too much wealth and influence to be an effective leader. But Carter stood by his decision, and Harris stayed in the position for two years.

The 39th president’s name is also included on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.

Civil rights activist, Rev. Al Sharpton recalled a conversation he shared with Carter.

“It was very significant, I was talking there at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, and I was talking to President Clinton and President Carter,” Sharpton recalled. “And when Clinton and I finished talking, President Carter touched me on my arm and said, ‘How are you doing with your ministry, Al? I see you out there with your activism. Don’t leave your ministry … keep your prayer life going.’ And you could tell he sincerely meant it. He was not one who talked about his religion as a political kind of something you could say to voters.”

President Joe Biden declared January 9, 2025, a national day of mourning. Millions watched the former president’s funeral on television as he was remembered as a man of honesty,
compassion and faith – which included championing the rights of Americans who knew firsthand the struggle of injustice

Black History

The Congressional Black Caucus Prepares for “Important” Work

Published

4 months ago

January 3, 2025

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The Congressional Black Caucus started the 119th Congress with its largest membership. There were 62 members sworn in today.

“On behalf of the entire Congressional Black Caucus, congratulations to the members of the Executive Committee of the 119th Congress. 53 years after our Caucus’ founding, our work to improve the lives and conditions of Black people in America is more important than ever before,” said CBC President Steven Horsford.