Black History Month recognizes the culture behind Black music, art, and beauty, and two women in McAllen are adding to the narrative of the history of black hair in the Valley.
“When I think about braids, it’s like something that’s [really] convenient. It can show anything. Your style, your culture,” Nya Gatluak, a hair braider at Braids by Beckaa, said.
Becca Cantu, owner of Braids by Beckaa, says they’re on a mission to normalize the style of braids among all women regardless of their ethnicity.
But black women still face scrutiny over their hair in their professional lives, according to Idia Thurston, a professor of psychology and brain sciences at Texas A&M University.
She says when some people see braided hairstyles on women, particularly black women, they form an opinion about the person before knowing them at all.
Watch the video above for the full story.
