Tamu ’26 spreads confidence to women in her community by partnering with Dress for Success to lead a braiding workshop.
This summer I partnered up with a local chapter of a non-profit, Dress for Success Northern NJ. It promotes learning practical and technical skills for women in preparation for interviews and/or an array of professional settings as an attempt to lessen poverty rates amongst women. In my personal experience being a black woman, hair is one of the most overbearing costs pertaining to presentability. Hairdressers usually demand upwards of $200 for basic medium box braids—of which they are worth the money-spent due to the convenience. Protective styles like braids are good because they relieve “morning-manic” for a while, but the progressively inflating prices are quickly becoming excessive to most people in my community. So, Dress for Success’s mission inspired me to share my passion for braiding and teach other women in my community how to plait their own hair.
I was a bit nervous going into the event as I knew I would be younger than most of my students. I was elated when the ladies opened up and warmly welcomed me with eager faces. At that moment, every ounce of nervousness melted away and I rediscovered the fundamentals of community. The ladies helped foster systems of support by cheering on each other, helping correct each other and helping teach each other when I was occupied with other students. As I looked around the room and my heart warmed at the community that was forming, the jokes and the laughter. After the event, a mother who had brought her daughter came up to me and expressed how grateful she was for the braiding workshop because she was now equipped with the necessary tools to not only do her hair but also her daughter’s hair. I was glad I got the opportunity to serve my community that way and make a lasting impact on some families as the mothers who attended teach their children this trade.
Lastly, in order to encourage further exploration in braiding at the end of the program the participants kept all the supplies they had used, along with a sponsored gift by Pop Bag USA from Dress For Success. I hope eventually as they get more comfortable with the mannequins, they can attempt to do their own hair. People digesting the materials from the lesson and using their newly acquired braiding skills to not only make their lives easier but also help boost their confidence in professional settings—that would be my vision of success.
