We’re raising funds to support our West African braiders at a local salon — women who have always shown up with skill, patience, and pride, and who are now being asked to carry far too much in this moment.

If you’ve ever sat in a braid shop, you know it’s more than hair. It’s long hours, steady hands, stories shared, kids in the corner, and women holding it all down. These braiders are culture bearers. Many are mothers. Many are the backbone of their households. And right now, they’ve seen a 99% drop in clients, not because their work isn’t needed — but because fear has crept into everyday life.

Still, they show up.

Clients are staying home. Appointments are disappearing. Income has dried up almost overnight. But the bills don’t stop. The rent doesn’t pause. The kids still need to eat.

This fund is about looking out for our own. It’s about community taking care of community — making sure the women who braid our hair, raise our kids, and keep our culture alive aren’t left to carry this alone.

Pouring Into the Women Who Braid Our Crowns