TURN UP FOR WHAT? •

Beyond The Chair Links Together

BLACK-OWNED SALONS & BARBERSHOPS TO HELP EACH OTHER AND DO GOOD COMMUNITY WORK

In late March, the Beyond the Chair Initiative (BTC) had its first official meeting of 2023 after forming and training last year; and the energy was amped. Mylette Clark, proprietor of Hair It Is on San Pedro NE, chairs the BTC, a coalition of Black salon and barbershop owners. With new co-chair Michelle McClenehan-Belton and a renewed focus, the BTC is ready to unite and hype the influential community members who braid, extend, cut, fade, color, trim, and close-shave us and our families.

As part of UpLift’s larger Chisholm Table cohort, BTC works with participating salons and shops to develop better communication and messaging strategies. Members and attendees will learn how to run online and social media campaigns more effectively and build resounding, effective events serving fellow businessowners, schools, and households.

BTC chair Mylette stated, “It’s important to open up this network because many salons and barbershops should be working together to uplift each other’s businesses. Times are hard enough, and if we have a network of owners working to unite and build each other up, it can help the hair and beauty community get stronger together.” unifying hair show for the cosmetology and barber community in a decade or two.

With the BTC backing her, Mylette aims to change that. She and Michelle are planning an August hair show that is non-competitive and more like a showcase for expert stylists but also a career launching pad for newbies and trainees.

“It’s important to open up this network because many salons and barbershops should be working together to uplift each other’s businesses. Times are hard enough, and if we have a network of owners working to unite and build each other up, it can help the hair and beauty community get stronger together.”

Such camaraderie is what April Sealy (A Touch of Class), Lillie Morgan (Find Your Style), and Lillie’s granddaughter Jiovanne “Jio” Craighead look forward to. The BTC attendees are excited to be in a group of enterprising businessowners and artists bent on intentionally networking with other like-minded professionals.

The entire group brainstormed a number of near-future plans; they discussed what to do about Black health disparities and noted a University of Maryland barbers and stylists cohort promoting vaccine confidence. Darryl Clark, Mylette’s husband, wants instructional videos made giving Black and mixed hair care lessons. Inspired by Madam CJ Walker—who built a huge hair care empire by building a network of people she empowered—Michelle sees BTC’s network spreading well beyond Burque, eventually scaling nationwide.

At the BTC meeting in March, several attendees noted how siloed various shops and salons are, which reflects how much of Black New Mexico sometimes feels fragmented. Mylette is stoked that Patrick Jenkins (ABU Academy) attended the meeting because he’s a venerable industry member who’ll be able to rally other shops’ participation. Patrick himself noted that there likely hasn’t been a

Mylette has other plans as well, like a school supply drive collected in local Black shops, and delivered to needful schools in the ID. In order to activate all these well-intentioned plans, Mylette is confident the BTC will build into a coalition of the willing, leveraging their strong business relationships for the benefit of Black wellness.

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