Earlier this month, Bianca Dawkins called ahead to Denny Kemp Salon and Spa, telling the desk assistant that she has “really tight curls” and that her hair would take 2 hours to be done. What she wanted was simple — for her natural hair to be washed, blow-dried and flat-ironed.
When Dawkins arrived for her appointment, things quickly took a turn. Dawkins told City Pages that a male stylist grabbed some of her hair and told her he would not be able to do it, referring to it as “an animal that can’t be tamed.”
It didn’t end there. He took her to other stylists, who also said that they wouldn’t be able to do her hair. In frustration she asked, “So, what? Black girls can’t come in here and get their hair done?”
According to Dawkins, the stylist replied, “Well, it isn’t the 1950s or 60s, where we can just put up a sign in the window.”
After leaving the salon, Bianca took to Facebook, with a letter addressed to Denny, the owner of the salon and Justin, the stylist who violated her identity with his words.
In response, the salon posted a statement via their Facebook page.
The comments section did nothing but drag the salon for it’s responses.
The backlash that the salon is receiving might just ruin business. According to Raw Story, the salon had 5-star rating prior to the incident. Now, the salon has merely 1.6 stars. Even so, the stylist didn’t receive any kind of disciplinary action. Kemp defended the stylist, saying that he’s “highly talented” and a “little emotional.”
“I want to be super-positive about this,” Kemp, the salon owner, told CityPages. “I don’t want Bianca to keep feeling bad. I wish that something positive, of this, would come out for her.”
Bianca isn’t letting Denny Kemp or his salon hold her back. On Monday night, she collaborated with Uptown Curl to hold an event in Minneapolis to educate people about black hair.
Flourish, Bianca, flourish!
