Struggle is Real for Black Hairstylists During COVID-19 Pandemic

Black hair stylists are speaking out about being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is allegedly devastating Black communities across the country. 
“When COVID hit it was like losing my livelihood overnight,” Tiana Brown, owner of That Chics Hair Suite in New Jersey, told ABC News. “I am a full-time stylist. That is my only income.”
Such is the case for many hairstylists.

Here’s more from the ABC News report:

Appointment bookings have fallen rapidly in the last few months, and with the future of social distancing guidelines uncertain, hair salons and barbershops within black communities have suffered in unforeseen ways, according to African American hairstylists who were interviewed for this story.

In 2017, black consumers spent a total of $473 million in a $4.2 billion hair care industry, according to Nielsen, and in 2018 the black hair care market was valued at $2.5 billion, Mintel, a market research company, reported.

As states loosen COVID-19 restrictions, Black hair stylists still face challenges, as many have noted that the process of applying for government PPP loans and unemployment is “confusing, slow and unreliable,” the report states. 

Meanwhile, NBA icon Magic Johnson has pledged to give $100M to a new program he’s creating to help minority and women-owned businesses that are struggling amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The loans are funded through Johnson’s EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. Johnson’s companies, Magic Johnson Enterprises, and EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, have partnered with New Jersey-based lender, MBE Capital Partners, which specializes in financing minority and women-owned businesses, per lafocusnewspaper.com. 

“This will allow them to keep their employees and keep their doors open,” Johnson told CNBC’s “Squawk Box”.

Additionally, Mayvenn hair extension company CEO, Diishan Imira, launched a GoFundMe to financially aide struggling hairstylists. 

“It feels good to be able to do something when helplessness consumes our world right now,” Imira told ABC News. “Black salons and barbers are the backbone for black entrepreneurship and an integral part of our communities.”

Despite support from Johnson and companies like Mayvenn, many salon stylists fear they may not be able to bounce back from the impact of the pandemic.

Stylist Tiana Brown, owner of That Chics Hair Suite in New Jersey, told ABC News: “Surviving is the only option for me.”

Read the full ABC report here.