I am very proud to say that I grew up color blind. I didnt discriminate or judge any one based on the color of their skin, I was never even aware of how "white" I was until I moved to Arkansas. However, today was I think the most racism I have ever had to deal with.
And just to clarify, racism isnt just "white people" hating on "black people", it comes in many forms but is always the result of flat out ignorance and stupidity.
Friday, I booked a few appointments for a woman who wanted her and her daughters to get corn rows and sew-in extensions. Okay, no problem! In fact, I love doing corn rows and fought and fought to learn how to do them correctly and do design corn rows. My first week in school I was begging my fellow classmates and educators to teach me that early and show me how they did it. I love to braid, its fun, creative, and there are so many different ways to braid that just when you think you know it all there is a new trend or style to learn and try out. And, extensions are pretty cool too. Being able to have that kind of freedom to change/alter your hair/style/texture/color/length without permenetly changing it, is pretty bad ass.
Anyway, back to this load of bullshit.
She called, scheduled the appointment, was great over the phone, and was excited about me doing her hair and then one of her daughters. Fast forward to today, I got into the salon early so I could set up and get everything ready. I was suppose to have three sets of corn rows and extensions to do! I was so excited and so ready to get started! No, they werent even close to being my first corn rows or my first extension applications but they were my first clients in the state of Florida and that is exciting for me.
So, I waited.....And waited....and waited.....
She was almost an hour late when she finally returned my phone call just to say that she was running late and that she would be cancelling all three of her appointments for her daughters. Which meant I would only be getting to do her hair and one other lady (whom flat out no showed me after making such a fuss about getting an ethnic student to do her hair).
Again, on the phone she was nice, professional, and sounded still excited to get her hair done. That all changed however, when she walked into the salon and I was the one that checked her in. She started looking me up and down, her facial expressions were purely ones of distrust and discontent. I just tried to kill her with kindness and do my job with in the best professional manner that I possibly could. Asked her how her day was going and continued her client consultation. She said she wanted her hair braided going back down her head cause it would be easier on her hair (since it was already damaged from previous sew-ins that were clearly too tight/produced bald spots and broken hair.) Normally, for a sew-in, like the one she wanted, you would braid in a circular motion but whatever gotta please the customer. I did the corn rows how she asked and redid and redid them because she was trying to say that my corn rows were too loose but honestly if I would have braided her hair any tighter I would have been pulling her damn hair out of her head. So, what would normally take me about twenty-thirty minutes took me about an hour and a half.
Then I started creating her thread barrier at the bottom where she had long spots I had to take up and sew closer to the head/inbetween the other braids. 1. So that all the tension wouldnt souly be on her hair, it would be on the thread as well, and 2. because its the best method to preventing breakage, slipage, and loosening braids. I was barely started when she starts questioning me what I am doing and telling me that her other stylist never does that and that I am just waisting time. Okay, thats evident because your the one with bald spots and broken hair right at your nape.....
After that I just started on her sew-in. She didnt like the way it was laying, how I was knotting the thread, she didnt want me to cut the tracks, and she stopped me after only three levels to tell me to go ahead an take the extension back out, unbraid her hair, and just flat iron it. That she would just get it done later. After all that work I did, tried and tried to please her, and did everything she asked me to do, she just wanted me to take it all out, not pay for anything that I had already done, and then just get a $9 service so that she said, "I could at least get credit for a service". I just went and got my salon floor manager.
It wasnt that I did a poor job, pissed her off in anyway, or that I could have made her happy if I finished the service. She was discriminating towards me from the moment she actually saw my face. She even had the nerve to ask me before she even sat down at my station, "Now, are you sure you can work with ethnic hair?"
Yes, I am highly trained at one of the best cosmetology schools in the nation and have strived to be able to do this exact service since I started school. So, nope cant work your ethnic hair apparently. My skin is just so bright that during that one lesson the only students in the classroom that were able to pay attention where the black "ethnic" students.
Not only is it an insult to me when clients say things like that but its an insult to the school, its educators, and every single "ethnic" student in the school and in the Regency family as a whole. By saying that you believe only ethnic students can work on ethnic hair, you are also saying that those same ethnic students cant work on "white hair". Your saying that due to our skin color certain lessons in class we are ill-equip to understand, comprehend, and do. That when certain subjects come up the teacher is then only talking to the certain students that match the racist stereotype affiliated with that kind of hair design, service, or chemical service.
This lady kept trying to tell my salon floor manager that she doesnt mind her head being used to teach or learn after my salon floor manager reminded her that she came to a school and even if she had went to a regular salon you cannot expect perfection, especially when you put such strict limitations and previsions to the service that you want rendered.
I can honestly say that I was so pissed and offended, I refused to walk back out there.
This was the third experience I have had in a week for racism towards me. The first was a woman, that again started out by calling the school and requesting an ethnic student but got me also started out very bitchy and judgmental but I rocked out with my marcel and gave her some curls that she was so shocked came out beautiful that again I was slightly offended because she was so shocked. The second was another lady that although she liked what I did to her hair she still refused to even take my card. It was a huge slap in the face. Her hair came out so beautiful, silky, soft, and exactly how she wanted it to but she just was ticked because she couldnt get an ethnic student to do her hair, and the third and worse was today.
Luckily, today ended on a good note and I got to see an old friend from high school who is a real sweet heart and her ethnic hair came out beautifully. And her ethnic baby was adorable and loved me.
Bottom line, the effects of racism are ignorance, more racism, and stupidity. I dont discriminate against you, please do simple assume because I am white that I cant do my job, that I cant comprehend the dynamics and design of ethnic hair, that due to my fair melanin in my skin I am incompetent in comparison. Racism is a disease of the mind. Its toxic to all it comes in contact with and it breaks down well rounded people. It infects even the most level minded person due to constant badgering and belittling. It breeds hate and distrust and I never thought that it would affect me so badly.
I have no tolerance for ignorant people and no acceptance for bullshit like this.
Yup, these pics are the result of four freaking ant bites. 
