Monique Rodriguez, the CEO of Mielle Hair Care, has announced a noteworthy partnership with the Howard University swim and dive team, marked by the initiation of their inaugural campaign, “From One Queen to Another.”
As part of this collaboration, Mielle Hair Care has provided the women’s swim and dive team with an array of products from their Pomegranate & Honey Collection, which includes shampoo, conditioner, styling products, and more. The multi-year partnership offers exclusive sponsorship rights, complimentary products for players and coaching staff, and student events for various occasions, including homecoming.
Karci Gibson, a senior electrical engineering major from Kingston, Jamaica, expressed her delight at having Mielle products to support her hair care regimen, particularly given the demanding practice schedule of six days a week. Chlorine exposure, common in swimming pools, can be detrimental to the scalp by stripping it of natural oils.
Gibson shared, “After training, I either wash out my hair or cold wash because the chlorine can build up, and I don’t want my hair to smell like chlorine or get too dry. To help moisturize, I use [a] leave-in conditioner and a styling gel to define my curls a bit.”
The introduction of this partnership was met with exuberance at the team’s first meeting of the year, exemplifying a significant moment for the coach, Nicholas Askew, who serves as the program’s director. Askew believes this collaboration contributes to addressing a broader issue, the relationship between Black individuals and swimming.
“As a learn-to-swim and water safety advocate, especially in the Black and brown community…Black hair is a significant challenge for our culture to want to even get in the water and get their hair wet,” Askew stated. “This partnership is going [to] grow our messaging of being able to eliminate that barrier that we have had historically with our relationship with water.”
Kelsey Roberson, a junior political science major from West Orange, New Jersey, emphasized the impact of using Mielle products. She had relaxed hair until her second semester of freshman year due to the belief that it was easier to manage while swimming. The decision to cut her relaxed hair was not easy, but she feels it was a worthwhile choice.
Darin Johnson, a junior sports medicine major from Houston, Texas, has used Mielle products since high school, recommended by his mom. He praised the products for protecting his hair from the damaging effects of chlorine.
While the women’s team has received the Mielle products, the men’s swim and dive team is awaiting their supply.
Nicholas Askew looks forward to this partnership’s positive and enthusiastic impact on the team at the start of the season and beyond, emphasizing their commitment and readiness for competition.
