By Dawn Cauthen Thornton - Photos by J Humble Photography ccording to Tociana ‘Kween Love’ Watley, every woman should be treated like royalty. She has a special affinity for her African American sisters who tend to carry the world on their shoulders. We assume roles as activists, caretakers, confidantes, counselors, and teachers, just to name a few. With all the colorful crowns we adorn, who wouldn’t want to be pampered from time to time? Kween Kare Cosmetics was created on a whim, but has turned into so much more. Tociana has always thought of herself as a hustler. In addition to the countless unpaid roles she’s had, she was also a babysitter, a special needs teacher, a nanny, and a Uber/Lyft driver. She even attended nail school at one point. For some time, she flourished in her individual jobs, but an unfortunate incident while driving Lyft caused her to question working for others and her sense of freedom. “This older man white assaulted me so I pepper-sprayed him and I ended up getting a charge instead,” she remembers. Because she had recently joined a nanny service with many potential clients, the unresolved charge resulted in her losing the clients and forced her to reevaluate her career path.
Continued on the next page Richmond - July/August 2018
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