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Number 51
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M L2l Wednesday
• December 24. 2014
Amber Starks, winner o f a Spirit of Portland award, at her downtown studio.
Natural hair
advocate embodies
‘Spirit of Portland’
O livia O livia
T he P ortland O bserver
by
Amber Starks stands in her downtown salon contemplat
ing an important decision - where will she expand her
explosively popular hair care business? As it is, new clients
at Conscious Coils have long waits for their first appoint
ment. She dreams of hiring a new stylist, renting out a larger
space, and finally having spots readily and quickly available
for the multicultural hair community of Portland.
Starks’ wave of new clients come on the heels of her latest
Change
Agent
success - a Spirit of Portland award she received last month
for her passion and hard work to re-write a state law regulat
ing practitioners of traditional natural hair care, the braiding,
weaving and locking of hair without the use of chemicals.
Her advocacy has improved the business environment for
ethnic-hair stylists, especially African-Americans.
Established in 1970
s
Committed to Cultural Diversity
photo by
O livia O livia /T he P ortland O bserver
The Portland Spirit award, sponsored annually by the city
of Portland, is given to residents who show “outstanding
dedication” to improving the local community.
Starks successfully advocated for a bill last year that drew
support from both Democrats and Republicans to ease the
regulations on ‘natural hair care’ businesses and change the
requirements to operate them.
“It really helped legitimize black salons,” Starks says. “I
have no shortage o f respect for underground hair care too,
but I think we ought to be able to own and operate salons,
so that we can join the business community and be part of
other discussions.”
Before the bill passed, Starks was forced to run her
business across the Columbia River in Vancouver. She was
especially troubled by not being able to help foster children
continued
on page 4