https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/04/nyregion/ulta-harlem-nyc-civil-rights-black-hair.html
Please take that chip off your shoulder. No one should feel the humiliation of being turned away and rudely but really?! Black hair is dry and brittle, if a hair dresser doesn't know how to deal with it, it can get damaged. Did this woman think for a minute that maybe the stylist had had a bad experience? Had done black hair before and got it wrong and suffered the consequences? That maybe she or he wasn't confident about their skill level?
In high school, I had a black roommate who corn-braided her hair with beads. I wanted her to do the same to my hair, she said, your hair is too straight. Was I supposed to be offended? She was telling the truth. Oh sorry, I should have also been lanced for cultural appropriation! There aren't a lot of black people on the UES of Manhattan, so you want a black hair expert, go to Harlem! I am middle eastern with long thick wavy hair that can be frizzy if brushed out, when I choose a hair dresser I never choose a blonde. What would she know about lightening my dark brown hair? Common sense is a good thing! Too bad it has gone out of style.
