Over 200 students and faculty filled the Bovee University Center Rotunda on Feb. 10 to participate in an event about Black hair care, which educated on the history of Black hair and offered hair style demonstrations from professionals. At the end, students had the chance to take home free hair products.

As students discussed the challenges of finding appropriate products and skilled beauticians who could help with their hair in Mount Pleasant, a Central Michigan University student announced she has a solution. Jakarta Shaffer said she is opening a new store by the end of this semester on West Broomfield Street that will provide beauty products for Black hair.

The event started with organizers, CMU junior Makayla Osborn and senior, Christiano Bermudez giving a presentation on the history of Black hair, hair discrimination and cultural appropriation. The organizers also talked about hair types, hair porosity, hair styles and general care tips.

Osborn said the idea for the event came from a personal experience.

“In the end of my freshman year … I was talking with my aunt, and I was telling her how hard it was for me to get my hair done on campus,” Osborn said. “And then she was like ‘OK, well you're one student, how many Black students (do) you have on your campus? … How many people are probably feeling the exact same way as you?'”

Osborn said they wanted the event to give participants the feel of community and comfort. They said they helped put on the event last year in order to bring awareness to the lack of access to Black hair care in Mount Pleasant.

Freshman Alexandria Akins participated in the event and said she had a hard time finding Black hair products in Mount Pleasant.

She said the event had “a really great impact on the community (and) the Black community specifically, because there aren’t very many opportunities up here for us to buy hair products for ourselves.”

Bermudez, CMU senior and an organizer of the event, helped plan the event this year. He said he and Osborn were good resources for students to learn about their hair.

“I made it a goal and a mission to show people you can do anything, doesn’t matter what you look like, doesn’t matter your hair type,” Bermudez said. “Don’t let your hair be your limit.”

Osborn said participants were able to take up to four, free hair products. The event was funded by the Residence Housing Association and donations.

Multicultural Academic Student Services (MASS) promoted the event and made it Multicultural Advancement Scholarship approved — meaning MAC students could get credit towards their scholarship requirements — according to Alfred Harper, an assistant director of MASS.

“I see educational value that is going on, I think it's beneficial for individuals … to experience exactly what type of products would be beneficial … but then also making it accessible,” Harper said. “Bringing those items here … allows (students) to … experience and retrieve the necessary products and tools that they need.”

Aniyla Anderson, a senior, said she learned a lot at the event.

“It definitely had a really good impact with learning about … during slave times how the cornrows were used to make maps for freedom,” Anderson said. “(The event) taught me new things. And it also helped me to realize that others have very similar experiences to me within growing up.”

Bermudez in his speech also taught how to properly complement Black hair. He said the best thing to do is to say, ‘I love your hair’ or ‘You look beautiful’.

Bermudez said touching someone’s hair even out of curiously is inappropriate.

“I treat my hair like my body,” Bermudez said. “If you touch my hair, you are harassing me.”

The organizers touched on the topic of identity related to hair.

Akins shared her story of relationships with her hair throughout the years. She began to wear her hair naturally for the first time, around four years ago. Then she cut her hair short -- twice. Akins said she liked her short healthy, hair, learned how to care for it and found products that work.

“I would definitely say it is an important part of my identity,” Akins said. “Not the biggest part of it, but it's definitely part of it.

"My hair … (is) a reddish-brown color, you can't miss me. … It's an important part and I am glad that I cut my hair off and I'm glad where I'm at.”

The event also featured Mount Pleasant professionals demonstrating various hair styles. Chyah Jones and Tori Bates showed a video and gave some ideas for strand twists and box braids.

Students participated in a wig raffle before lining up to get free hair products.

In the UC next to the Rotunda, senior Antonea Harris, organized an event called Melanated Makeup. She said the events were thematically connected and MASS helped host both. Harris said next year, she is hoping to combine the events completely.

Senior Remaz Abdelrhman performed a make-up demonstration. Then, participants were able to select and keep free make-up products such as lip gloss, mini mascara, lipstick or micellar water.

Harris said she wants to add foundation to the collection next year.

“I'm really hoping that this sort of … inspires more people and just allows the events to impact and reach,” Harris said.

The event wrapped up with an Shaffer's announcement from CMU senior, Jakara Shaffer. She said Mount Pleasant’s first Black hair care store, Journie by Jay, should be open on West Broomfield Street by the end of this semester.

"If nobody else if gonna do it, I told myself I have to do it," Shaffer said. "I talked about this idea with many people over a few years, but to have it actually come provided is a beautiful thing. I am so happy."

Shaffer said she has dreamt about opening her own Black hair care store for the four years she has been at CMU. She said the idea arose from “not having the access to the necessities that I needed.”

Shaffer said it took her about a year to start a business. She researched and learned how to start and eventually, partnered with vendors for products.

The main focus of her business, Shaffer said, is creating an inviting space for students.

“It’s my baby. … My expectation is that it gets up running,” Shaffer said. “My second expectation is that the students will understand that (the store) is a safe space for them.”

The audience supported Shaffer’s announcement with loud applause.

“Whatever dream you want to follow … keep going,” Shaffer said. “Eventually somebody will listen, somebody will hear you and make your dreams come true.”

Osborn said they were excited with the success of the Black hair care event. Both Osborn and Bermudez said that they received warm feedback from students.

“I know a lot of people have come up … just (to) say, ‘I'm really glad that this event happened’,” Osborn said.

Bermudez said next year, they are planning to make the event even bigger and better.

For more Black History Month events, visit MASS on Instagram.