When the coronavirus pandemic shocked the world into a standstill two years ago, Johnnie Dudley, like many, used the time to reflect with her family about the things they wanted and needed to accomplish.
“COVID-19 had my family and I quarantined and so we had a lot of time to talk and think about our lives, our future and the future of our children,” Dudley said. “We discussed wanting to have something to leave for our children. We’ve always thought about entrepreneurship but never decided on a business type.”
Two years later, the idea of a business has transformed into a brick-and-mortar establishment — Loving My Hair Beauty Supply 2, located at Oxford East Shopping Center. Boasting a wide variety of products, from lashes and hair tools to braiding hair and wigs, the location serves as a “one stop shop” for beauty needs.
As is signified by the “2,” Dudley’s location is the second of its kind. Her sister opened the first location in DeSoto County and supported her as she moved to establish this one.
“My sister was a big inspiration to us opening our store,” she said. “She assured us she would be with us every step of the way, as she was enduring the difficulties and obstacles of being a Black woman working in an industry that’s mostly dominated by non-Black owners.”
Despite the fact that beauty supply stores like Loving My Hair 2 are frequented by Black people — especially Black women — they are rarely Black owned. Koreans and Korean Americans have dominated the multi-billion dollar industry for decades, controlling all parts of the supply chain from manufacturing to retail. This fact alone is one of many that Black entrepreneurs face when venturing into the beauty supply market.
There can also be financial barriers to opening a beauty supply store. As Dudley explains, $10,000 or more of initial capital is necessary to secure accounts with top of the line suppliers. This is only one of many expenses.
“It’s not easy for a Black person or Black women to enter into the beauty supply store industry and be successful long-term. One must have funds or the means to allocate funds,” she said. “Government funding and grants are available for some minorities, but not for us. To open our store, we had to use personal funds, credit cards and loans.”
Despite these adversities, Dudley’s business has grown and continues to flourish. Beauty supply stores like Dudley’s are a staple for Black people, especially Black women. An essential part of the community, these stores are where Black women find the tools to harness the versatility and beauty that exist inherently in Black hair.
Jessica Carter, a junior journalism major, has shopped at Oxford’s Love Your Hair location and speaks to how important it is that Black women are able to feel beautiful.
“For many years or even centuries, we have always been ‘beneath’ other races of women. If our hair isn’t straight, wavy or curly, it’s unprofessional,” Carter said. “Our hair isn’t meant to fit in a ‘box’ of three textures. We are beautiful too. Our coils, waves, locs, puffs, weaves, etc. We come in all different shapes and sizes. We are forced to fit in the ‘box’ society has created to consider ourselves beautiful.”
Dudley, too, sees the importance of feeling beautiful.
“I think it’s important for Black people to not only feel beautiful but to know they are beautiful. Our culture allows us to express our ethnicity through our hair, what we wear and other items we supply in our stores,” she said. “Our products allow customers to embrace their personalities and enhance the beauty that’s already there.”
On the opposite side of Oxford, situated near the top of Heritage Drive, another businesswoman also saw the beginning of the pandemic as a turning point for her business. Ashley Hurt owns Oxford’s only Black-owned spa, Unshelled Beauty.
“When the pandemic happened, that’s when a lot of clients were telling me that they needed someone like me in Oxford,” she said. “You know, someone Black-owned that really had their stuff together. My clients motivated me to move out here.”
Carter has also been a client of Unshelled Beauty.
“I truly enjoyed Unshelled Beauty. Ashley was the nicest person ever,” she said. “She made me feel comfortable about my body and the goals I set for myself. I currently get waxed by Graced by Genvieve, which is in the same building as Unshelled.”
In addition to her own business, Hurt also created a space for other entrepreneurs and artists.
“I know a lot of people like to be their own boss, so I created a space where people can have their own booths and their own hours and actually be their own boss,” she said.
Aside from local competition, Hurt has not faced any issues outside of the typical ups and downs. Her business continues to grow and she continues to “unshell” the beauty she sees in her clients.
