Celebrating Diversity

It’s no secret that here at The Mirror & I Salon we value diversity and inclusivity. Being curl specialists, we are lost without it in my opinion. Meeting people from different places, backgrounds, and faiths teaches us that we are all not that different from one another. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing. We want our children to grow up safe and healthy. We want to have a good meal with friends and family. And we want to rest our heads on our pillows at night while tucked snuggly in our warm beds.

It’s hard for me to imagine a world without nuances. It’s the differences that make us special and human. Today, for example, I am getting ready to board a flight to San Francisco to connect with family. While many people here are connecting to their destinations in the same way that I am today. As I look around, I am heartened to see that while none of us are the same, we are here for the same purpose. To travel.

And diversity is being celebrated at the gate of my airline. Trail Blazers are commemorated in pictures and a beautiful banner celebrating Black History Month. I love this and I’m here for it. In the hair industry, the first woman to become a millionaire and successful entrepreneur was in fact a black woman. Madam C.J. Walker developed hair products and education for her community. She started schools and helped pull black women out of poverty and she raised the bar in our industry early on. You can learn more about her in the Netflix movie Self Made or read the book that her niece wrote about her for a deeper dive.

The world is heavy these days and we are choosing to celebrate the beauty of life and diverse culture in spite of it. Without it my life and my job would be boring. For the rest of this month, the hair care tip I offer is to do the best you can. Hair is part of our world and our identity. I don’t have a one size-fits-all answer because there isn’t one. We customize what works for you when you sit in our chair.

We celebrate Black History month because we must. It influences and enhances our daily lives in the salon and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Valerie Frazee
Salon Owner
The Mirror & I Salon