In January 2015, Brantley was awarded and allowed to teach ancestral braiding. The judge ruled that requirements were “unreasonable and irrational.” In April 2015, Brantley has taken it even further and is in swift pursuit of full deregulation for hair braiding to give to all women who desire to braid for a living the right to do so without the strict erroneous hurdles that have been imposed for years. In her strong argument she says, “I need the government to get out of the way so that I can teach the next generation of hair braiders and earn an honest living.”
Although progress has been made of her efforts, when asked about her feeling of accomplishment she says, “I am not quite accomplished. I am not free until we are all free. We are awaiting the verdict when the session ends at the end of May. We are certainly looking forward to a victorious outcome. I am never over zealous about the fight for economic justice and cultural identity. We will always have more to stand up for and more to do as it relates to our identity and most especially out hair-ratage. Our ancestors paved the way for us. We must continue to protect and uphold our cultural legacy.”
Come May, the decisions will be made on how to proceed with the deregulation of hair braiding and teaching within the State of Texas. Interested parties are eager to know how this will affect the future of the hair industry as a whole.
Do you agree with full deregulation for hair braiders?
