Add your name to the petitions demanding that textured
hairstyling become standard beauty school ed.
%20into%20beauty%20school%20curriculum,%20beginning%20with%20the%20fall%202021%20semester.%20“I’d%20like%20them%20to%20either%20use%20my%20program%20or%20%5Bhave%20me%5D%20help%20them%20create%20one.%20A%20good%20hairdresser,%20even%20if%20they%20specialize%20in%20one%20thing,%20should%20know%20the%20basics%20of%20everything.%20Hair%20is%20hair,”%20she%20says.%20%20Solange%20Ashoori,%20Toronto%20%20%20%20Owner%20of%20Toronto’s%20Ziba%20Style%20Bar,%20an%20inclusive%20salon%20that%20caters%20to%20all%20hair%20types,%20Solange%20Ashoori’s%20petition%20is%20addressed%20to%20the%20Ontario%20Ministry%20of%20Training%20Colleges%20&%20Universities%20and%20calls%20for%20a%20major%20overhaul%20to%20all%20post-secondary%20hair%20programs%20in%20the%20province%20that%20tackles%20the%20insufficient%20education%20of%20curls,%20specially%203C%20to%204C%20curl%20patterns.%20For%20Ashoori,%20the%20public%20response%20to%20her%20petition%20asking%20for%2010,000%20signatures%20has%20been%20fascinating.%20“We%20weren't%20even%20expecting%20the%20petition%20to%20get%20as%20big%20as%20it%20did.%20That%20reiterates%20that%20the%20need%20for%20this%20change%20is%20imperative,”%20she%20comments.%20“I%20hope%20that%20the%20ministry%20will%20accept%20our%20help%20and%20listen%20to%20the%20demands%20of%20thousands%20of%20stylists%20and%20people%20who%20are%20hopeful%20that%20this%20change%20will%20be%20implemented.”%20%20Chloe%20Streit,%20Calgary%20%20%20%20Grade%2011%20student%20Chloe%20Streit%20is%20demanding%20that%20secondary%20school%20cosmetology%20courses%20in%20Alberta%20include%20modules%20on%20Black%20hair%20through%20her%20petition%20pushing%20for%2015,000%20signatures.%20The%20young%20stylist-in-training%20was%20inspired%20to%20spark%20change%20after%20her%20employer,%20modeling%20agency%20Mode%20Models,%20released%20a%20new%20booking%20policy%20in%20the%20wake%20of%20the%20Black%20Lives%20Matter%20protests%20that%20now%20charges%20clients%20if%20a%20Black%20model%20shows%20up%20on%20set%20to%20hairstylists%20ill-equipped%20to%20style%20their%20natural%20hair.%20“As%20a%20white%20woman%20in%20society,%20I%20started%20thinking%20about%20the%20ways%20my%20race%20gave%20me%20an%20unfair%20advantage%20in%20life,”%20says%20Streit.%20“I%20immediately%20thought%20of%20my%20cosmetology%20class%20and%20the%20ways%20in%20which%20our%20curriculum%20is%20so%20skewed%20to%20only%20catering%20to%20%5BCaucasian%20hair%5D.%20There’s%20very%20little%20representation%20of%20BIPOC%20cultures%20or%20trends,%20which%20I%20thought%20was%20utterly%20ridiculous%20and%20upsetting.”){kind=link}
There’s a maddening lack of salon pro’s trained to work with textured hair, which can result in shame, rejection and embarrassment for clients. Here are three Canadians leading change with petitions demanding that textured hairstyling becomes a standard part of Canadian beauty school education.
Nancy Falaise, Montreal
With a goal of 10,000 signatures, salon owner Nancy Falaise aims to present a completed curly hair program to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Quebec that would introduce all curl patterns (wavy, curly and coily) into beauty school curriculum, beginning with the fall 2021 semester. “I’d like them to either use my program or [have me] help them create one. A good hairdresser, even if they specialize in one thing, should know the basics of everything. Hair is hair,” she says.
Solange Ashoori, Toronto
Owner of Toronto’s Ziba Style Bar, an inclusive salon that caters to all hair types, Solange Ashoori’s petition is addressed to the Ontario Ministry of Training Colleges & Universities and calls for a major overhaul to all post-secondary hair programs in the province that tackles the insufficient education of curls, specially 3C to 4C curl patterns. For Ashoori, the public response to her petition asking for 10,000 signatures has been fascinating. “We weren’t even expecting the petition to get as big as it did. That reiterates that the need for this change is imperative,” she comments. “I hope that the ministry will accept our help and listen to the demands of thousands of stylists and people who are hopeful that this change will be implemented.”
Chloe Streit, Calgary
Grade 11 student Chloe Streit is demanding that secondary school cosmetology courses in Alberta include modules on Black hair through her petition pushing for 15,000 signatures. The young stylist-in-training was inspired to spark change after her employer, modeling agency Mode Models, released a new booking policy in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests that now charges clients if a Black model shows up on set to hairstylists ill-equipped to style their natural hair. “As a white woman in society, I started thinking about the ways my race gave me an unfair advantage in life,” says Streit. “I immediately thought of my cosmetology class and the ways in which our curriculum is so skewed to only catering to [Caucasian hair]. There’s very little representation of BIPOC cultures or trends, which I thought was utterly ridiculous and upsetting.”