May 29, 2013
ÍÍ!e fjortlanh (Observer
Page 7
Harris
Photography Studio
Located at
4545 NE MLK (Blue & White Building)
•X
Call for appointment today
KJ*’
503 -7 30-1156
Studio is also ready for Pet Portraits!
photo by D onovan M. S mith /T he P ortland O bserver
Amber Starks will be able to braid, loc, and twist hair in the Oregon workplace without the
burdensome requirements o f a cosmetology license thanks to her advocacy of a new law
easing restrictions.
Showdogs
Hair Care Victory
Practitioners of natural
hair get restrictions eased
D onovan M. S mith
T he P ortland O bserver
by
There are some abilities learned through the years
from origins not pinpointed to a specific moment in
time. For many in the African-American community,
one of these generational skills is the ability to braid,
loc, and twist hair.
But Oregon put burdensome regulations for prac­
titioners of natural hair care until now, thanks to the
passage of a law to ease the restrictions.
Portland resident Amber Starks owns a salon solely
focused on natural hair styling in Vancouver. She led
the grassroots fight to change the law after discover­
ing she needed a cosmetology license to offer volun­
teer services to Oregon children in foster care.
Cosmetology licensing in Oregon is earned after
1,700 hours of coursework and training and can cost
up to $ 17,000 or more, not including various materials
students often self-supply. Though this often results
in roughly two years of schooling, students often
leave without ever being taught how to properly braid,
twist or dread hair.
Though initially reluctant, Starks got in contact
with Oregon Rep. Alissa Keny-Guyer and Sen. Jackie
Dingfelder of northeast Portland in search of a resolu­
tion. To her surprise both responded; that was in
November 2011.
The deadline for new bills had already passed, but
between persistent phone calls and emails to both
representatives she made sure the purposed legisla­
tion would be considered for 2012. It was then intro­
duced in Salem as House Bill 3409 also known as the
Natural Hair Care Act.
After passing through the Oregon’s House of Rep­
resentatives in a unanimous 60-0 vote last month, the
bill was adopted by the Senate on Thursday in a much
less united 18-11 showing.
Oregon now stands as the 23rd state in the last 10
years to have modified their laws in regards to chemi­
cal-free hairstyling.
Urban League of Portland President Michael
Alexander who worked closely with Starks to comb
through the legal issues and build community support
to change cosmetology law said it was important to
knock down the barriers to people wanting to start a
business based solely on natural hair styling.
Roslyn Graham, a licensed beautician and the Afri­
can-American owner of Shape It Up salon in northeast
Portland, has mixed feelings about the bill’s passage.
“Our hair has its own history,” Graham said.
But the flip side to easing regulations is that it could
take customers away from a hair styling professional
that has gone to school and got their license.
“For someone doing hair on the side, they could
become competition,” Graham said.
At Geneva’s Shear Perfection and Beauty Salon,
also in Northeast Portland, stylist Laticia Staples said
the new law was a smart choice.
“A lot of people are going back to natural hair,
wearing a lot of up-doos and braids, twists, and
dreads. It will help a lot of people find employment
during this recession,” she said.
The bill creates a new license, under the Board of
Cosmetology, that limits the scope of practice to just
natural hair care and requires proof of knowledge of
health and safety standards.
The law technically still awaits Gov. John Kitzhaber
signature, but a veto is not expected.
Showdogs is a full service salon. We do
baths, all over hair cuts, tooth brushing ,
nail trims, soft claws, flea treatments, mud
baths, and ear cleaning. We also have
health care and grooming products to
keep your pet clean in between visits.
Show Dogs Grooming Salon & Boutique
926 N. Lombard
Portland, OR 97217
503-283-1177
Ihesday-Saturday 9am-7pm
Monday 10am-4pm
Yo dawg is gonna look like a show dawg
and your kitty will be pretty.
Advertise with diversity in
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Call 503-288-0033 ads@portlandob servcr.com