“WE ARE ESSENTIAL”

Beyond The Chair Rises Up After Tough Times With A Comeback Showcase

In our supersized May/June issue, we told you that the Beyond the Chair Initiative (BTC) was ready to serve the community. Well, this September, they’re gonna blow up the spot with the New Mexico Beyond the Chair Hair Flair event! So, who again is the BTC? And what’s their event all about?

The BTC, an organization sponsored by the New Mexico Black Leadership Council, formed for several reasons:

■ They bring the beauty salon and barber shop community together to uplift one another.

■ They recognize Black beauty salons and barber shops are foundational to the community.

■ They assist salons’ and shops’ efforts to uplevel their businesses.

■ They cultivate salons’ and shops’ efforts to get customers access to community resources which may be difficult to come by.

Mylette Clark, owner of Hair It Is Beauty Salon, is BTC chair, and Michelle McClenehan-Belton is co-chair. With the team of BTC cohort members from other salons and shops, they’re bringing back the biggest hair show Albuquerque has seen in decades. Mylette notes that the New Mexico Beyond the Chair Hair Flair “is a showcase that feels like we’re rising back after the pandemic shut so many of us down. It really affected our line of business tremendously. It’s important to come together in this way because we are essential.” Especially to the communities these salons and shops serve.

The Hair Flair show in September will consciously break with some older traditions. Mylette states that ALL hair salons, barber shops, and beauty colleges in the greater metro area are invited to participate. This isn’t just a Black-owned showcase, y’all, this is coalition-building.

What’s also different is the show will not be a competition. Michelle told us, “No trophies will be given. Our intent is to showcase” all this local talent—stylists and barbers and students of both. The Hair Flair event will also be completely free for all who participate in it. “There will be no fees of any kind. We hope to help participants gain new customers by letting the community see the talent they have to offer.”

Participants can sign up to perform in categories like business professional, workout, and “a night out.” Then there are subcategories like haircuts, colors, barber cuts, braids, dread heads, weaves, updo’s, natural styles, and more.

Amateur stylists, like cosmetology students and independents, can also test their skills in the same categories of their own bracket with the goal of attracting attention and possibly securing employment.

The New Mexico Beyond the Chair Hair Flair event happens at the Salt Yard West on Saturday, September 16 @ 5pm. If you’re down to participate, sign up with the QR code below. If you have questions, please contact Mylette or Michelle.

If you want more information about the Beyond the Chair Initiative, see the QR at right on the cohort and others like it under the Chisholm Table coalition of the NMBLC.

Beyond the Chair chair

505.489.1048 mylettebtc@gmail.com

MICHELLE

MCCLENEHAN-BELTON

Beyond the Chair co-chair 505.991.6604 michellebtc49@gmail.com