Comments on: Saturday Retrospective: Should we support BLACK haircare business?

By: MissyD

MissyD — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:23:42 +0000

I buy from Black Business when it comes to hair products. Even if it means taking a longer drive. Hell there is a hair supply store walking distance from my house and you know what, most of the people there don’t speak a lot of English yet they are trying to sell me something that is for me and my people only.

What other race allows this? If I were to go into a Chinese neighborhood and try to open a Chinese restaurant they are going to look at me like I’m insane and not a soul would come in. If I went to Malibu, CA and opened a tanning salon then would think I was insane. So why are we allowing outsiders to sell us OUR products? That makes no sense and it shows how we as a people are easily taken over. I support Black Owned Business because if we don’t support our people no one will.

By: CallaLily

CallaLily — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:53:28 +0000

I’m late on this issue but Jc just brought me to this post. I had just done a post on 40 black owned hair care companies. I agree that people should buy what they can afford and what works for their hair. If it is possible that you find yourself purchasing from black owned that’s great but it should not be the most influencing reason.

By: Moni

Moni — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:08:22 +0000

I’m all about supporting black businesses (in general, not just hair care). As AdriB said, I do it for reasons of community, not just race. This whole autonomous thing is truly an American way of thinking (not just for hair, but in so many other ways). Most other societies are far more community oriented when it comes to everything from healthcare to education and they’re the better for it. I can’t truly be doing well if the majority of my community (and not just racial community) is living in poverty, dying because they can’t afford healthcare, etc. I certainly don’t purchase all of my hair products from black businesses, but I try to by them as much as possible because I know that it will have a positive effect on the greater community, even if the effect is only that other people will become inspired by seeing a successful black business.

By: GS

GS — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:50:40 +0000

Seriously, what “industry” by and large are Blacks really in control of as OWNERS? One would hope that we would be financially autonomous when it comes to something as personal as our own hair. Does anyone else think that it’s embarrasing that we as women need to buy something (hair) we literally can grow ourselves?

We can make all kinds of parallels and justify the farming of hair as if its a fruit or vegetable… but to me i’m always going to feel to some degree like its the equivalent of selling ice back to the eskimos. I probably would wear a wig if I felt like the industry wasn’t exploiting… and we as black people weren’t feeding into … the assumption that our natural hair somehow isn’t good enough or worthy of praise like every other race of people on the planet.

White people started that lie, Blacks bought into it for survival at the expense of our self-esteem, and Asians are capitalizing off of it. When that changes…and we all work together to reverse the lies and exploitation, maybe i’ll rethink the whole buying hair thing…

By: LBell

LBell — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:11:24 +0000

This weekend I drove over an hour to see “Good Hair” and to patronize a black-owned beauty supply. Sadly they didn’t really have much in the way of hair products (they did have a wide variety of weave hair, which I might have bought if I were into weave, which I’m definitely not) but I did buy some plastic caps and some earrings. The two young ladies behind the counter were both very pleasant and helpful. So I feel I did my bit for black-owned business that day.

Sadly, these days my budget does not allow me to patronize black-owned natural haircare companies on a consistent basis. I would love to find a conditioner that does the work of Hello Hydration at or around the same price point. And what about the ingredients we use as kitchenticians? My shea butter comes from a black-owned company but my aloe vera gel, olive oil, honey, etc. don’t. There’s only so much we can do IMO.

As for black-owned salons…again, my budget doesn’t allow it, but even if it did, the stylist would have to practically walk on water before I’d let him/her in my (thick, fine, nappy) hair. I’d be happy to support a black stylist if he/she were truly EDUCATED about my hair type.

(OT: I like the new site!)

By: NapturallyHappy

NapturallyHappy — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:00:11 +0000

If most of us learned to do without all of the many products we own and don’t need, that would be the beginning of a solution. With all I’ve learned from this and other natural sites, I’ve gotten my monthly product needs down to 1 bottle of shampoo, 1 bottle of conditioner, 1 bottle of aloe vera gel & 1 tub of shea butter (which lasts longer than a month). I spend less than $10 a month on my hair. When it comes to deep-conditioning, I know how to use ingredients from my kitchen. It is possible, especially for natural women, to take fabulous care of your hair on a simple budget without supporting businesses that don’t support us.

By: BCU

BCU — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:50:30 +0000

I stopped supporting Asian owned hair care stores last year due to my business not being appreciated (it almost got nasty), the lack of products marketed for my hair, and the realization that this business is for me (and people like myself) yet I’m supporting businesses owned by people who do not share my hair textures and the attributes that go with it. I just got sick of it.

I currently support either black owned hair care businesses or other businesses such as ULTA and Sally. I’m all for taking back our businesses, but it has to start with us, for we are our biggest hindrance.

By: Hmm

Hmm — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:43:16 +0000

Like most people said, what’s most important to me as a consumer is the quality and price of a product. The problem within black communities is mostly a lack of education when it comes to proper and healthy hair care. Most people on natural hairblogs are somewhat educated and enlightened to what to use in their hair to adequately manage and maintain it, so the products they use tend to be more natural and unrefined oils, and mostly products that do not come from these asain beaty supply stores. I do enjoy supporting my people (blacks, women, Africans, any group I identify with, not just racially), as long as they are up to par on what I want. The issue with some of these black owned haircare lines is their high prices and most are unavailable in store. If the black masses could get quality products that were readily available to them at a reasonable/recession proof price that was black owned coupled with proper education of our hair, nobody would be buying from these other companies that exploit us.

By: BajanPrincess 82

BajanPrincess 82 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:49:20 +0000

I live in Germany so I get in where I can fit it. Basically, I buy what works for me from whomever and wherever I please. I only have three products (a sheabutter and coconut oil mix, and some Miss Jessie’s) that I purchased from a black-owned business. Quite honestly, I like what I like and stick with what works for me. I do not go out of my way to find other hair products just because they are made by black-owned businesses. Also, what about the prices? They are crazy! I have a head full of really thick hair and I just can’t see droppin $20 on a 4oz bottle of spray/butter/moisturizer (ie. Oyin Handmade), that will last me like 3 uses.

By: NappySexyFly

NappySexyFly — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:09:16 +0000

“Post-racial” is the new “color blind”. If it absorbs and then erases my people from the face of this earth it is another form of genocide. We are of course all human but we are a beautifully diverse species and that is our gift. What we need to strive toward is respect for the cultures, contributions, histories and genetic variety of our species not to be blind to it or dissolve the variety and diversity of our species. To answer your original question, of course we must support black business. What good can come out of ignoring or financially starving those businesses that contribute to the diversity of products. Every voice every creative human being that has something to contribute of value to the market place should receive support, that includes us. There is no doubt that we should support black businesses. There is no need to feel guilty or imagine that you are supporting racism by assuring that the contributions of your people continue to enrich humankind