By: Dominique Duncan

The unimaginable history of this country and our ability to survive, is one of the many reasons that makes me proud to be a black woman. The Black Lives Matter “movement” has always existed, although it has called itself different names throughout history. This is why I’m being featured here. This call to recognition and action is a beautiful thing. 

While my mother is biracial, I don’t consider myself to be. I don’t pass for white, and have always been seen as “the other.” The white side of my mother’s lineage won’t speak about race. The subject of race is altogether ignored, making me feel unseen and misunderstood. Without being able to have these conversations about race within families, and throughout the country, it prohibits real authentic relationships and change. 

Racial inequality is present in the workplace for 99% of black people. I graduated from The Fashion Institute of Design and Technology and began immediately working in the fashion industry at ZARA. While working full time for the largest retailer in the world, I obtained my online Bachelor’s Degree in Business from the University of Phoenix. Like many other black people’s experiences, I saw no black representation in management, regional management, or corporate positions. I became the first black Store Director, and the first black Regional Human Resources Manager. I had to work harder, longer, and smarter than everyone else.

What impacted me most were the black women that later told me, “I didn’t know WE (black women) could be hired for upper management positions. Seeing you inspired me to pursue more.”

In 2019, I parted ways with ZARA and founded Braidz by Dom. While I planned to braid hair in the interim between exiting ZARA and finding a new job, braiding hair afforded me more financial freedom than working for ZARA. Braidz by Dom has a very special place in my heart because I was able to take a childhood talent, and turn it into an independent business within 30 days.

COVID changed my cleaning and sanitation habits, and I added the necessary precautions of taking temperatures and wearing masks, but clients were still flocking to me and truly made me realize the power of the beauty industry. Black women have a special relationship to our hair and this country continually delivers the message that we need to “manage it”, even during a pandemic. 

In order for things to be truly equal in this country, we would have to erase history. Black people would have had to immigrate to this country on our own free will, and given equal opportunity (to own property, start businesses, be a part of this democracy, etc.) from the very beginning.

Unfortunately, this cannot happen. Black people have suffered, we are traumatized. All we can hope to do is take steps in the right direction, CONSISTENTLY, for a very long time. To adults reading this, particularly white/white passing individuals, and/or wealthy, and/or influential people, please realize that you have power. Truly analyze your environments, and use your power to create fairness around you. And white people, please have conversations WITH EACH OTHER. Hold each other accountable. Systematically, we must defund all the institutions used to criminalize black people and keep us in poverty and create new ones. 

I only hope that when the mainstream media doesn’t feature the “movement” anymore, that many people have learned necessary information and continue to care about listening to black people, working with black people, hiring black people, and speaking up when we are being ignored and treated unfairly.  

http://braidzbydom.as.me