WEBVTT - The Black Hair Experience (w/ Elizabeth Austin-Davis) 0:00:00.920 --> 0:00:04.800 Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. You are tuned into 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:07.160 the Vitamin D with Dawn Day podcast and I am 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:09.959 your host, Dawn Day, here to get you excited about 0:00:09.960 --> 0:00:11.879 your life so that you can live life on purpose 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:14.080 and for a purpose. And this is your first time 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:17.599 tuning in and welcome Vitamin D. It's upon of my name. 0:00:17.960 --> 0:00:19.800 My name is Dawn, and you get Vitamin D for 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:22.160 the sun. So I'm here to share light into your life. 0:00:22.560 --> 0:00:25.960 And I do this with inspirational insights and conversations with 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:29.080 celebrities and everyday people like you and me, Because if 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:31.000 you want to be better and you want to do better, 0:00:31.520 --> 0:00:33.760 then you're going to have to be able to see better. 0:00:34.159 --> 0:00:36.760 So join me on this journey of living our best 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:40.680 lives and understanding and realizing how you are your greatest 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:44.239 assad I can't tell you how important it is for 0:00:44.360 --> 0:00:48.680 us to edify one another, to uplift, to shine light, 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:53.040 to pay how much to those who have paid the way, 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:57.360 to those who are paving the way, and to those 0:00:57.400 --> 0:01:01.480 who have yet to pave the way. It's the last 0:01:01.600 --> 0:01:06.440 day of women's history mine and I know you've probably 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:13.280 checked out the interview, the hearing, the saga, the whole 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:18.720 process with Honorable Katangi Brown Jackson and her confirmation of 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:23.679 joining the highest court in the land. There was so 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:27.679 much backlash thrown at her, yet she stood in so 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:32.399 much grace and grit in the words of Senator Cory Booker, 0:01:33.760 --> 0:01:38.680 and I broke down in tears of just how he 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:44.479 edified her as a woman. I really enjoy how Corey 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:48.600 Booker was able to see her, how she was able 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:52.600 to reside in who she is. How was some little 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:55.880 girl out there that's saying because she can, I can't too. 0:01:56.760 --> 0:02:00.840 And more importantly, how we're coming together to her and 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:04.640 celebrate a woman about change, a woman who was so 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:07.600 well decorated, a woman who has crossed through the fire 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:10.320 and actually set fire a blaze of the trail that 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:16.720 she is making. Maybe remember that, maybe we also honor 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:20.080 and respect all the things that she's been through and 0:02:20.120 --> 0:02:23.880 that she's going through using as a means of inspiration. 0:02:25.000 --> 0:02:30.000 Can you imagine or we see her so we can. 0:02:31.840 --> 0:02:34.840 So I want to thank you, Honorable Katangi Brown Jackson, 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:40.960 for being bold, for showing us with women's history looks 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:47.000 like thank you for being you. Maybe we all learned 0:02:47.080 --> 0:02:50.399 something about what it means to be who you truly are, 0:02:51.160 --> 0:02:54.200 to stand in your truth and to operating your truth. 0:02:55.440 --> 0:02:59.760 Maybe all do that, get your right right with me? 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:08.079 I get excited. How are you doing, I'm doing great? 0:03:08.160 --> 0:03:11.520 Thank you so much. It is a pleasure and absolute 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:13.640 pleasure for one to see your face, to to have 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:18.560 you on the Vitamin dvadan A podcast. I'm excited to 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:22.360 be here. I'm excited to have you. And which makes 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:25.160 me more excited is because what you and at least 0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:27.560 you are doing with the black Hair Experience. We're gonna 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:31.000 talk about this um and I have the opportunity which 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:34.200 I'm so excited about. I went ahead and took a 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:38.760 visit over at the ball on Hills mall rightf for Grinshaw, Martin, Luther, King, Bilevard. 0:03:39.000 --> 0:03:41.920 So it was great to really stuff in it. And 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:43.680 can I just say, y'all do it to day and 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:48.720 all day. Thank you, Thank you so much. From the 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:52.720 moment of stepping in there and even before I even 0:03:52.760 --> 0:03:55.320 got to the exhibit, you know how you grabbed me. 0:03:55.360 --> 0:03:58.160 You grabbed me with the music. It was so nostalgic 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:01.400 being a nineties kind of girl like was immediately taken back. 0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:06.920 The lighting was phenomenal, the installations were phenomenal, and I 0:04:07.000 --> 0:04:10.920 understand that you guys have different exhibits or whatnot based 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:14.760 on the location. Correct, yes, yes, And I have to 0:04:14.800 --> 0:04:16.880 say I have to give a Leisha her credit. I 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:20.320 can't take credit for the music because since is all 0:04:20.360 --> 0:04:24.479 about the nineties and she curated that playlist. But yeah, 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:28.600 so each city has their own, you know, different flares 0:04:28.680 --> 0:04:31.120 to it. We always try to keep some of the 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:35.640 same installations but make them different. And then this is 0:04:35.640 --> 0:04:38.880 our fourth location, so we've learned some things along the way. 0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:41.600 So I feel like you got to see the culmination 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:46.080 of like a year's you know, um years of hard work, 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:49.120 you know, coming together. So we're really happy with that 0:04:49.200 --> 0:04:53.279 location and what it looks like. Okay, Okay, So while 0:04:53.320 --> 0:04:55.440 I was there, you know, I had to dive in 0:04:55.560 --> 0:04:58.279 because I know that this experience was not only amazing 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:00.560 for me, but I'm like, you know, while we're bringing 0:05:00.600 --> 0:05:03.800 up this conversation talking to black black hair, I was like, well, 0:05:03.839 --> 0:05:05.880 let me go and ed and ask some of the 0:05:05.880 --> 0:05:08.240 people that were there if they could ask you to 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:11.680 a question, what would they say. So leading into it, 0:05:12.200 --> 0:05:14.320 I had the opportunity to talk to a young woman 0:05:14.400 --> 0:05:16.640 she goes by the name of Queen Being. Her question 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:20.279 is what prompted you to create the black Hair Experience? 0:05:20.720 --> 0:05:25.440 What was the impetus for it? Okay, So Alicia and 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:27.640 I have been friends for longer than I want to admit, 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:32.560 and I am by trade a photographer and she's a 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:35.920 graphic designer. And we were at a conference and I 0:05:35.960 --> 0:05:39.360 was telling her like, you know, I'm entering into these 0:05:39.360 --> 0:05:42.400 weddings and I'm in these spaces where I'm the only 0:05:42.440 --> 0:05:46.160 black woman and I'm the only black person, and I'm 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:48.640 struggling with figuring out what i want my hair to 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:51.720 look like. And um, I was gonna do a photo 0:05:51.800 --> 0:05:55.200 project on black women and their stories with their hair, 0:05:55.880 --> 0:05:59.280 and she was like, why don't we turn that into us, 0:05:59.560 --> 0:06:04.160 you know, experiential museum. And it's just like a brilliant idea. 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:07.279 We came together. It took us about a year to 0:06:07.360 --> 0:06:10.680 figure out fabrication and like get all of that going, 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:15.719 and it really manifested from that as we continued our conversation. 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:19.920 We started our journey together in corporate America when we 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:25.000 were intern Yeah, so we our first corporate job we 0:06:25.000 --> 0:06:27.560 were together, and then we end up being roommates. So 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:30.400 we kind of talked about that experience that we had 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:34.960 and transitioning from undergrad to that environment and what that 0:06:35.080 --> 0:06:37.719 was like with our hair. So we really just kind 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:41.800 of dove really deep and trying to say, like, there 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:45.760 hasn't been a place to celebrate our hair. There hasn't 0:06:45.760 --> 0:06:50.159 been a place that was made for positivity with our hair. 0:06:50.279 --> 0:06:53.120 We know it's so heavy, we know it's a journey. 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:57.919 We both have been on that, so we intentionally wanted 0:06:57.960 --> 0:07:01.560 to make it fun. We intentionally wanted to make it positive, 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:04.560 and we really wanted to figure out a way to 0:07:04.720 --> 0:07:07.880 connect with people and for them to be able to 0:07:07.880 --> 0:07:10.320 come in and laugh and have a good time. So 0:07:10.360 --> 0:07:13.720 that's kind of how it came about, Like kind of 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:18.680 starting that story of going through our journey and making 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:21.240 sure I was like, we gotta have a kitchen. I 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:24.200 remember those Easter Sundays with my mom in the kitchen. 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:26.840 We gotta make sure we have that and trying to 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:29.720 make it beautiful and something that should be celebrated. So 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:34.560 much love that happened in those you know situations. So yeah, 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:36.320 that's kind of how it came about and like what 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:40.720 the thought was behind it. And it's been an amazing 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:44.400 journey putting it together. You have me over here clapping 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:48.640 and probably everybody once you mentioned the kitchen, because it 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:53.840 was between well three, okay, it was between the bedroom. 0:07:53.920 --> 0:07:57.520 Immediately I heard Brandy sitting up in my room, everybody 0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:02.160 on the wall. And then and of course everything starts. 0:08:02.320 --> 0:08:04.960 I mean, especially just as a young black girl grown up, 0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:07.360 you knew you were in the hair salon. I mentioned it. 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:09.360 Before you get to the hair salon at six am. 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:11.800 You're lucky if you leave out by three pm. But 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:16.120 hold on, hold on where you got me and Elizabeth, 0:08:16.240 --> 0:08:18.280 when you got when you hit right here, right here 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:22.320 is when I moved into that kitchen, I said it was. 0:08:22.400 --> 0:08:24.800 It was just a black history moment in general. Like 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:27.720 I'm surprised I hadn't seen a post that said, like 0:08:27.720 --> 0:08:30.440 like TVT and just the back of somebody's neck that 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:35.040 just say okay, because the days of holding them ears 0:08:35.080 --> 0:08:38.560 down and squinching, and then your mom or whoever was 0:08:38.600 --> 0:08:40.960 pressing your hair had to hit it on the paper, 0:08:40.960 --> 0:08:43.240 tie a little toilet paper just to make sure it's 0:08:43.240 --> 0:08:45.920 not too hot. Then wait a minute, if you like me, 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:53.040 start sweating and you hit a little sizzle, and oh 0:08:53.120 --> 0:08:57.400 my gosh, I looked this because the sisterhood that you 0:08:57.480 --> 0:09:00.800 gotts share, that's what you got brought to life. And 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:03.960 you guys both being a woman that are bringing something visually. 0:09:04.320 --> 0:09:06.320 The fact that you were able to evoke that into 0:09:06.320 --> 0:09:10.240 a conversation that everybody can relate and I think that's 0:09:10.280 --> 0:09:13.000 the type of community when I think about the black 0:09:13.040 --> 0:09:18.880 Hair experience, because we're all just sharing our journey. Yes, yes, 0:09:20.240 --> 0:09:22.920 you mentioned that this is the fourth exhibit here in 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:26.040 l A. Yes, tell me about the others and the 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:29.400 process of even securing the space, because I'm sure people 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:32.920 were thinking about like what a pop up art exhibit hair? 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:38.400 Talk to me. Yeah. So our first location was Atlanta, Georgia. 0:09:39.240 --> 0:09:42.080 Our second look quication is in Maryland in the d 0:09:42.160 --> 0:09:45.679 n B area, um so in National Harbor, and then 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:48.360 we have a tour of Texas that is happening, so 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:53.160 we just close our Dallas location is moving to Austin. UM. 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:55.600 We like our biggest goal was to kind of take 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:57.960 it on tour and make sure that as many places 0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:01.160 get to see it as possible. Um and not to 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:04.040 get you heavy and be completely honest, like, securing our 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:07.760 location has always been the hardest thing for us. You know, 0:10:08.040 --> 0:10:09.920 it didn't matter if we had a business plan, it 0:10:09.960 --> 0:10:12.839 didn't matter if we had capital. You know, we had 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:16.160 black in our title before was popular, you know. So 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:20.120 it was one of those things where we honestly saw 0:10:20.160 --> 0:10:23.320 that that was an issue, but we really persevered found 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:27.040 some great people to you know, partner with us. So 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:28.920 it took us about a year to be able to 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:32.800 find a location that was willing to you know, understand 0:10:32.800 --> 0:10:37.280 the concept and you know, um like allow you know 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:38.880 us to be in the space and get a lease 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:41.880 and all that good stuff. But yeah, it was definitely 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:43.719 a journey in the beginning. And I always love to 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:48.520 be transparent about that because getting commercial leases and really 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:53.040 um regular house you know leases are completely different in 0:10:53.160 --> 0:10:55.880 terms of the rules and things like that. But we 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:58.600 were really happy with Atlanta. Atlanta is still open. We 0:10:58.679 --> 0:11:02.079 call it our baby. It is one of our smaller locations. 0:11:02.240 --> 0:11:05.440 It's about four thousand square feet, but it's still it's mighty, 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:08.920 has fifteen different installations, So that's kind of where we 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:12.040 started and we've just been growing ever since. I love 0:11:12.040 --> 0:11:14.280 what you said that because you know, vitamin D it's 0:11:14.320 --> 0:11:17.240 a pun off my name, and vitamin D is all 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:19.560 about shedding line because you get vitamin D for the sun. 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:22.480 And the fact that you are transparent, the fact that 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:24.800 you can't say and attest to the fact that it 0:11:24.920 --> 0:11:27.760 took time and how you had to push through it. 0:11:27.800 --> 0:11:30.080 I think that makes the reality of things because in 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.720 the world where everything is so instant, people think that 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:36.240 it's easy, but you realize the things that you work 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:40.319 hard for are worth having because now here we are 0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:43.760 talking about something that may here. I am, you know, 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:47.720 at the exhibit talking to mothers and daughters and have 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:50.640 it just you took me back and it felt good. 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:54.240 It felt really good. And so I'm just curious. Out 0:11:54.240 --> 0:11:57.080 of all the installations, what would you say the one 0:11:57.160 --> 0:12:00.800 that really, you know, touched here for you in the inside. 0:12:01.600 --> 0:12:04.319 I mean, honestly, I have to do the kitchen, because 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:08.800 that for me was like I just remember my mom 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:11.640 being in the kitchen, my grandmother, my aunt, like it 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:15.079 was like our Easter Sunday, Like I have this picture 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:18.320 of of me, like when I was twelve and my 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:22.600 whole family were blue for Easter and I just remember, 0:12:22.679 --> 0:12:25.320 like I was so like dumb by the time the 0:12:25.320 --> 0:12:28.560 photos came around, but it was such a beautiful, like 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:32.400 experience because like we color coordinated as a family. So 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:34.679 just like so many good memories of the women in 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:38.280 my family in that moment, like as a child may 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:41.640 not necessarily appreciating it as an adult. Oh my gosh, 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:45.080 Like that was so much fun. So definitely the kitchen 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:47.480 is for me. That's the one that means the most. 0:12:47.840 --> 0:12:50.680 And just having those memory, especially with my grandmother, you know, 0:12:50.760 --> 0:12:54.040 I think that that is just time that I will 0:12:54.080 --> 0:13:01.320 always cherish. It's the kitchen for me. So since we're 0:13:01.320 --> 0:13:06.560 talking about family mother's grandmother's daughters, I understand that you 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:09.720 guys have a weak care workshops that you guys also 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:13.080 um have part of the black hair experience. So tell 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:17.120 me a little bit about that and what's that about. Yeah, absolutely, 0:13:17.160 --> 0:13:22.120 so you know, understanding that the we wanted the experience 0:13:22.120 --> 0:13:24.760 to be as positive as possible, there's still a level 0:13:24.760 --> 0:13:28.400 of responsibility. We know that we're up against a lot. 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:31.240 We know that young girls are still struggling when it 0:13:31.240 --> 0:13:35.040 comes to their journey with their hair. So our workshops 0:13:35.040 --> 0:13:38.920 are really geared towards sowing self love and furthering that 0:13:39.000 --> 0:13:43.480 conversation with younger girls, middle school and high school girls. UM, 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:46.280 we talk about you know what it's like or the 0:13:46.320 --> 0:13:48.920 experience that they have in the media, you know, just 0:13:48.960 --> 0:13:53.240 building self confidence and team building and UM we bring 0:13:53.280 --> 0:13:57.160 in you know, UM influencers and just women of color 0:13:57.240 --> 0:13:59.280 that are out here moving and shaking for them to 0:13:59.320 --> 0:14:02.559 be able to see, you know, how important it is 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:07.160 and what they can do. UM representation matters like UH 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:10.200 so much. And I know that young girls even being 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:14.120 able to see, like, you know, like this is ours, 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:17.679 we this big facility that you're inside of, this is us. 0:14:18.040 --> 0:14:20.720 So them being able to even see that, I think 0:14:20.760 --> 0:14:23.960 it's impactful. So we do those in every single one 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:28.080 of our locations. We have a community Engagement manager on 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:31.080 staff full time. Her whole job is to do these 0:14:31.120 --> 0:14:35.080 workshops in each of our locations because it's important for us. 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.240 We knew that we wanted to give back to the 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:40.239 communities that we were in and we felt that curating 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:42.720 this program was the best way to do it. I 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:45.360 understand you guys talk about something like a hair trauma. 0:14:46.040 --> 0:14:47.880 Is this the kinds of things that you discussed in 0:14:47.880 --> 0:14:51.760 the workshop? Yeah, So for the girls, we try to 0:14:52.160 --> 0:14:56.600 UM allow them to see it through. UM like seeing 0:14:56.600 --> 0:14:59.520 it through more so themselves. We like the one thing 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:01.840 that we try to do is we try to focus 0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:06.920 on reinforcing positive skills when they are in the moment 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:09.760 of you know, feeling doubt and how do I get 0:15:09.760 --> 0:15:12.640 myself out of it? Like what are some affirmations I 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:16.560 can say to myself to reinforce those positivities. So we 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:19.920 try not to focus so much on the trauma because 0:15:19.960 --> 0:15:23.480 sometimes just my personal opinion, I feel like a lot 0:15:23.560 --> 0:15:26.720 of things are focused on black trauma. So we're trying to, 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:28.880 like with the girls, to be able to give them 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:31.400 tools to be able to overcome that, and to be 0:15:31.440 --> 0:15:33.960 able to say, if you're having a moment, what are 0:15:34.000 --> 0:15:37.240 the steps to be able to take you back to 0:15:37.360 --> 0:15:41.320 a positive um you know, position, and then also just 0:15:41.440 --> 0:15:44.720 being able to say, like, your hair is beautiful and 0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:49.200 you'll be surprised with you know, our younger girls that 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:54.000 that statement within itself is like oh really, that statement 0:15:54.120 --> 0:15:57.160 just kind of itself is what needs to be reinforced. 0:15:57.160 --> 0:15:59.360 So we kind of start there, and I love that 0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:02.240 because know, oftentimes in some families the rhetoric has been 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:04.960 like natural here is unacceptable. I was talking to a 0:16:05.000 --> 0:16:07.320 woman there and she was just saying that when she 0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:11.440 was coming up it wasn't a thing to wear natural heir, 0:16:11.480 --> 0:16:13.960 her mother did not necessarily approve. And now she was 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:17.280 revisiting back with her daughter and one of her good girlfriends, 0:16:17.440 --> 0:16:19.880 and she said, hey, don I don't want to repeat that. 0:16:20.240 --> 0:16:22.400 I want to create a safe space for my daughter 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:25.640 to express herself how she wants to be. And I 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:34.680 just said, come on a black hair experience. Yeah, absolutely absolutely, 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:37.680 I'm so here for that. And it reminds me of 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:39.760 this quote that this young woman once said, her name 0:16:39.760 --> 0:16:42.480 is Kiva Clark, and just an excerpt of her quote, 0:16:42.480 --> 0:16:44.360 and she talks about how you can't be what you 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:48.960 cannot see and to have that representation people, I can't 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:51.920 take it lightly. Um, how important it is to see 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:55.080 someone that looks like you because it's like you can exist. Now, 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:58.640 we definitely have those who are trailblazers, but we are 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:01.280 people that are led by this, and we heard if 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:03.320 we want to talk about the Scripture without the vision 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:06.520 of people with perish, So to create these environments that 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:09.520 are so nurturing, I can say it's so imperative because 0:17:09.880 --> 0:17:13.200 I myself have been on a hair journey, like I 0:17:13.200 --> 0:17:15.160 don't know if I shoot, but I practically had had 0:17:15.240 --> 0:17:19.359 every hairstyle from We had the natural, we had the 0:17:19.359 --> 0:17:24.119 creamy crag with the perm relaxer. I've had the short 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:27.560 blonde fade. I've even went completely bald. I've had the 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:32.240 box sprays, and now I currently have locks. But catch this, Elizabeth. 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:35.760 You may mention about how sometimes a dialogue when it 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:38.399 comes down to the industry entertainment as to whether or 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:40.720 not your step forward with it. It took me so 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:43.480 long to get my lucks because I thought it was 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:47.520 going to hold me back. Can you believe that's something 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:50.840 that is an expression of me. I withheld me back. 0:17:50.840 --> 0:17:53.359 And one thing I always say, even talking about the 0:17:53.440 --> 0:17:56.200 vitamin D deva Dawn Day podcast, It's just about being 0:17:56.240 --> 0:17:58.439 a light so that you can shine. And if I 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:01.320 come to a point that I'm trying to high behind something, 0:18:01.680 --> 0:18:06.360 I can't be truly who wanted to be absolutely absolutely 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:09.920 And you know, our theme um is spreading the message 0:18:09.920 --> 0:18:12.680 that all black hair is beautiful, you know, and I 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:16.040 think understanding that each person is at a different point 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:18.760 in that journey. I have been at a point where 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:20.560 it's like, oh, I hate my hair. Then I've been 0:18:20.600 --> 0:18:22.880 at a point where I've loved my hair, but I 0:18:22.920 --> 0:18:25.280 want to make the choices of how I choose my 0:18:25.320 --> 0:18:28.679 hair because that's what I want to do. And we 0:18:28.760 --> 0:18:30.760 know that we're not there yet, you know, we know 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:33.040 that there's still a lot of women that have to 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:35.760 feel like they have to do something just to be 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:38.680 in order to provide for their family, like that is 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:41.919 a real reality. Or we're still seeing children not be 0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:44.800 able to cross the stage because they have box braids. 0:18:44.880 --> 0:18:48.080 We know that's the reality. So we really want to 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:51.600 further that message that all black hair is beautiful and 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:54.400 that no matter where you are in the journey, if 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:58.159 you love yourself, thenish your choice. I may have braids today, 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:00.960 tomorrow may have a wig, tomorrow may have a fathe, 0:19:01.200 --> 0:19:03.440 I may you know, switch it back up. But it's 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:06.280 just as long as I'm happy with me, then that's 0:19:06.359 --> 0:19:10.760 all that matters. So that's really the broad message that 0:19:10.840 --> 0:19:14.520 we're trying to send um because we know that it's 0:19:14.600 --> 0:19:17.359 not always it's not easy, and we know a lot 0:19:17.480 --> 0:19:20.720 of our reflection of ourselves is tied to our hair. 0:19:20.920 --> 0:19:25.439 So I totally understand that and that's unfortunate, and we 0:19:25.640 --> 0:19:28.679 partner with the Crown Act and the different states that 0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:34.480 we're in further those conversations because we know that not everywhere. 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:37.960 You know, these things aren't easy for our community, and 0:19:38.080 --> 0:19:40.800 there's still people today that are facing that type of 0:19:40.840 --> 0:19:43.920 discrimination just to be able to work. Yeah, and if 0:19:43.920 --> 0:19:46.679 anyone's unfamiliar, the Crown ex stands for to create a 0:19:46.720 --> 0:19:51.359 respectful and open world for natural hair. Wow, it's a 0:19:51.359 --> 0:19:53.600 beautiful thing to know when you belong or when you 0:19:53.640 --> 0:19:57.359 have a place, you know, it gives yourself permission to 0:19:57.480 --> 0:20:00.200 stand in that and the fact that you got are 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:03.919 giving these these skills and providing these tools for young 0:20:04.000 --> 0:20:05.720 ladies because it may not it's not about the fact 0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:08.040 that you have bad hair. It's not manageable. Let's just 0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:10.400 figure out maybe you need some moisture, just a little 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:13.040 bit of water, let me get you that good seting 0:20:13.040 --> 0:20:17.280 called scarf, get your silk pillow, you know, those kind 0:20:17.320 --> 0:20:19.680 of things that just really helped, like aid in that. 0:20:21.119 --> 0:20:23.560 And then even farther, it's like, Okay, you had a 0:20:23.600 --> 0:20:26.560 bad day, since you're still beautiful. You know your hair 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:29.120 may not be what it needs to be today, it's 0:20:29.160 --> 0:20:31.880 all right, we got tomorrow, we got next week. It happens, 0:20:32.359 --> 0:20:34.679 you know. So I feel like that too, Like I 0:20:34.720 --> 0:20:37.440 feel like sometimes just as when we put this pressure 0:20:37.440 --> 0:20:39.439 on ourselves that we think that it should be a 0:20:39.440 --> 0:20:42.440 certain way, and it doesn't always have to be that way. 0:20:42.600 --> 0:20:45.240 So you know what I said, I was like, for myself, 0:20:45.240 --> 0:20:48.320 I'm learning to embrace the gray. I've been a person 0:20:48.400 --> 0:20:52.520 that's just very you know, black and white, right or wrong, 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:55.440 left or right, And I just had to say, wait 0:20:55.440 --> 0:20:57.880 a minute, what happened to existing in the great cause? 0:20:57.920 --> 0:20:59.879 I think in the gray is with the beauty. Lie, 0:21:00.600 --> 0:21:03.000 It's the magic, is the art, it is the love, 0:21:03.160 --> 0:21:06.840 it's the flexibility. It's the reason why our hair can 0:21:06.880 --> 0:21:10.600 define gravity. It's why it's an extension of us. It 0:21:10.720 --> 0:21:14.000 is why it is an art. It is a masterpiece 0:21:15.000 --> 0:21:19.280 on Yes, and the fact that you guys can capture that, 0:21:19.359 --> 0:21:22.240 the fact the fact that it's women's his three months 0:21:22.320 --> 0:21:26.520 and this is evoking this much excitement. Thank you, I 0:21:26.560 --> 0:21:32.920 appreciate you. Hello, it's your girl supermodel. His lyrics cross 0:21:33.080 --> 0:21:35.959 representing all my Curry girls out there. Hey, what's up? 0:21:35.960 --> 0:21:38.119 It's to be ja and you are tuned into Vitamin 0:21:38.200 --> 0:21:45.880 D the down day. So now that we're invoking all 0:21:45.880 --> 0:21:50.520 of these conversations, I'm just wondering, like, what's next for 0:21:50.560 --> 0:21:54.840 the Black Hair Experience. Okay, there's so many things. So 0:21:55.720 --> 0:21:58.199 one of the things that's really important to us is 0:21:58.240 --> 0:22:02.080 also UM me and Alicia before we started the experience, 0:22:02.119 --> 0:22:07.240 we're entrepreneurs within ourselves, so we have a retail inside 0:22:07.240 --> 0:22:11.840 of the experience. UM, So expanding upon the retail UM 0:22:11.960 --> 0:22:15.199 is something that's really important to us. We partner with 0:22:15.240 --> 0:22:18.320 other black owned businesses to sell their products inside of 0:22:18.359 --> 0:22:21.080 our retail. So what's really cool is like we have 0:22:21.240 --> 0:22:24.080 this uh these cards where you can learn more about 0:22:24.119 --> 0:22:28.520 the person, you know, scan their QR code, follow their business. 0:22:28.600 --> 0:22:32.240 So UM expanding upon that UM. We feel like we 0:22:32.400 --> 0:22:35.600 understand the power of the ripples that we can create, 0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:38.760 UM in terms of the economic power inside of our community. 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:42.200 So we're gonna be doing some really great special things 0:22:42.280 --> 0:22:47.280 there and UM we are also continue our tour of 0:22:47.320 --> 0:22:51.280 Texas or Austin location will be opening. We will be 0:22:51.280 --> 0:22:55.080 there for ninety days and then honestly, we have other 0:22:55.160 --> 0:22:58.560 markets that we're expanding into, be in Houston this year 0:22:58.640 --> 0:23:01.520 and then UM all so New York this year. So 0:23:02.000 --> 0:23:06.520 we are really excited to you know, continue on and 0:23:06.640 --> 0:23:10.200 you know build you know, this community of women that 0:23:10.560 --> 0:23:13.800