To braiders, like Oumou Wague of Chicago , her talent for weaving women's hair into elaborate styles isn't just a livelihood, it's an art form. But in a growing trend across America, this "art form" which dates back thousands of years in the African culture is illegal to practice without a state license. 
Now in a clash between rules and tradition, hundreds of African American braiders in Illinois have chosen to ignore the law — including Wague, who said threats by state regulators to shut down her shop forced her to go underground, working only with established clients.
In the Institute for Justice study, "Dream Deferred: Legal Barriers to African Hairbraiding Nationwide " writer Valerie Bayham states the economic motivation for this legislation. "The over-regulation of hairbraiders is one symptom of the larger disregard for economic liberty, the bulwark of the American Dream. Occupational licensing has stretched from highly specialized professions, like law and medicine, to professions for which the justification of entry barriers is virtually nonexistent, hampering even would-be interior decorators, casket retailers and florists. A closer examination reveals that legislatures are often motivated not by the public good but rather by private interests that seek to protect themselves from competition."
The District of Columbia government once threatened hairbraider Pamela Ferrell and her husband Talib-Din Uqdah with fines and jailtime for practicing their craft without an unnecessary government license. But the couple successfully fought the law, and have maintained their shop for over twenty-five years. In addition, they have trained dozens of other women to start their own business. What if the rest of the country would learn from this success story? Isn't it time to remove the barriers to honest enterprise that is thrust upon hairbraiders?
As we lament the fact the 95% of Black consumer dollars, leave the community (and do so in hours); the African American braiding, locing and twisting of hair should be a rallying point for the community. Other cultures have leveraged their economic muscle by targeting a specific industry. In the seminal book, "Capitalist Nigger " author Dr. Chika Onyeoni, makes the case that "Indian, Chinese and Korean counterparts have been able to accomplish in America."
In New York City, he writes, the Indians control all the newsstands, they control all the taxi, and over 90% of the limousine car service. The Chinese on the other hand control how America eats. Even in the movies, you see actors and actresses ordering some kind of Chinese food. And the Koreans control the importing, distribution and retail operations of the Black hair industry. While major foreign companies like France's L'Oreal control the majority of the product manufacturing. Some have tried to fight against this economic warfare by creating inclusive events to develop business strategies including the National Alliance of Market Developers (NAMD) .But much more needs to be done.
But guess who the consumer is in this economic quandary? How does this contribute to leakage of dollars from the African American community? And what can we do to build economic empowerment where we are the disproportionate and dominant consumer?
