The UC Santa Barbara Associated Students Black Women’s Health Collaborative: BWHC held its third annual Black Beauty Expo on November 8 at the Student Resource Building. The event aimed to address the challenges Black students face in accessing hair care products in the Goleta area, where options tailored to textured and curly hair are limited.
According to Julianna Swilley, Coordinator of Black Student Life at the Office of Black Student Development, the event emerged in response to the scarcity of Black hair care products in local stores. UCSB alum Francesca Mccants, who organized the first Black Beauty Expo last year, helped launch this initiative to better meet the needs of Black students.
Olabisi Ola-Olaitan, a third-year biology major, noted that while local stores offer basic shampoo and conditioner, they often lack products designed for textured hair. “They only had a really small section, and it was limited to shampoo and conditioner. But as a Black person, that’s not nearly enough to do what I need to do,” Ola-Olaitan said.
The issue was exacerbated when Target discontinued several multicultural hair care products at its Goleta location, sparking further demand for accessible products among Black students. The expo aimed to fill that gap.
Starting at 4:30 p.m., attendees were provided with free hair care products from Absolutely Beautiful Hair Beauty Supply, an Oxnard-based store. Each student received up to 10 tickets to choose items like braiding hair, hair gels, shampoos, conditioners, and oils. The event also featured soul food from Santa Barbara chef Guidance Moon, a raffle with prizes such as blow dryers and hot combs, and interactive games like “Have You Ever Hair Bingo” and journaling sessions.
Swilley emphasized the lack of attention given to the specific needs of Black consumers in the Santa Barbara area. “Although the Black population here is not large, there are still Black people here, and their needs should be addressed,” Swilley said.
Students like Aderonke Bello, a first-year physics major, expressed frustration over the difficulty of finding suitable hair care products in Goleta. “It’s discouraging to be a Black woman here,” Bello said. Michelle Okeke, a second-year biology major, echoed similar sentiments, adding, “It’s a bit offensive to see that we’re not [Target’s] target audience. Our hair care needs are really important to us, and not having access to products close by is discouraging.”
The Black Women’s Health Collaborative, which focuses on the physical, mental, and holistic well-being of Black women and non-men, was integral to organizing the event. Members wore shirts emblazoned with the phrase “A Black Woman is Speaking, Listen and Learn,” designed by Kamaya Jackson, a second-year Black Studies and History of Public Policy and Law double major, alongside her mother, who owns the T-shirt business K and K Creation.
Jackson explained the significance of the shirts, saying, “It’s saying the most underrated person in America is a Black woman. By wearing this shirt, you’re not just reading it, you’re acknowledging me, and you’re more open to listen to what I’m saying.”
Jackson expressed her hope that events like the Black Beauty Expo can offer Black students a space to voice their concerns and experiences. “Students often feel they can’t speak to faculty, but they feel they can speak to us because we are students. We understand their challenges, and BWHC is here to foster their community and culture,” she said.
The Black Beauty Expo continues to serve as a vital resource for Black students, providing them with not only essential hair care products but also a sense of support and belonging in a campus environment where their unique needs are often overlooked.
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