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Essence Now March 20: The Fight Over Hair Braiding Licenses, Plus Monica Talks Music and Family
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00:00I'm Makon Lovu, and today on Essence Now, our girl Monica is here to talk about her
00:09search for music's next superstar and when we can expect her next solo project.
00:14Plus, Lion Babe singer Jillian Hervey gets real about how growing up around white people
00:20affected how she viewed her curly hair.
00:22But right now, it's time for the Hot List, the biggest stories you're buzzing about today.
00:30Trey Songz is out on bond after turning himself in to Los Angeles police for a domestic violence
00:36charge. Back in February, Andrea Buera claimed that she was attending a party with Trey when
00:40he got upset that she was talking to another man and repeatedly struck her in the face,
00:45leaving her with a concussion. She also says that he later choked her when she tried calling an Uber.
00:50Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Trey has been accused of violence. In 2017, he pled guilty to
00:56disturbing the peace for throwing equipment off the stage at a Detroit concert, and he's also
01:00been sued by a fan who claims he assaulted her for requesting a photo. As for Andrea Buera's recent
01:06claims, Trey tweeted on Monday that he is, quote, being lied on.
01:13What is going on in Austin? So far, they have been five recent bombings in the city,
01:17and police still don't have any real leads as to who's behind them. On Monday, a package headed for the
01:22city exploded at a FedEx facility in San Antonio. And this past weekend, two men were injured after
01:28a suspicious package was left on the side of a road. And earlier this month, residents were killed
01:33or injured in three separate instances by packages that were delivered to their homes. Authorities now
01:39believe a serial bomber is indeed on the loose. There's $100,000 reward out right now for anyone that
01:46can give us information that can lead us to stop the bombings. $100,000 is a lot of money. And we're
01:53hoping somebody knows something and that they can call us and help us stop what's going on here.
02:02The state of Tennessee is cracking down on natural hair salons that used unlicensed stylists.
02:08According to Forbes, the state requires hair braiders and another natural stylist to complete 300 hours of
02:13schooling and face $1,000 fine every time they do hair without a license. But many salon owners say
02:20the law is simply unfair considering that natural hair styling uses no chemicals. Walter Jackson wrote
02:26on Facebook, America, this is the biggest piece of BS I've ever seen. This only affects people of color.
02:32But Gina Lawson doesn't find a problem with it. She wrote, ladies, let's get those licenses and do it
02:37the right way so that you can prevent this from happening to you. Now, we all know an auntie or a play
02:42cousin who braids out of her house. But should the rules be different when you work in an actual
02:47salon? Let us know your thoughts in today's viewer poll. Do you think all salon hair braiders should
02:52be licensed? Send us your votes using hashtag Essence Now because we're talking about it next.
02:57It's Tuesday, March 20th, and it is time for Essence Now.
03:01Welcome to Essence Now, the hottest life show on the internet. And you know this, man. I'm your
03:18host, Mako Ndobu, and you can watch us every Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern on Essence.com, Facebook,
03:24and YouTube. And remember to sound off on today's show with the hashtag Essence Now or by emailing us
03:30at Essence Now at Essence.com. As mentioned in the hot list, natural hair stylists in Tennessee
03:35are in a fierce fight over what they claim are excessive fees for hair braiding without a license.
03:41Wait, wait, wait, wait. Don't all salon stylists have to be licensed? Well, really, not exactly.
03:46According to Forbes, the rules for natural hair licenses vary by state. And because hair braiders
03:52often use no more than their fingers and a comb, almost half of U.S. states don't require a license at all.
03:58Here's what we know so far. Tennessee defines natural hair styling as twisting, wrapping, weaving,
04:04extending, locking, or braiding of the hair without chemicals. A natural hairstylist license requires
04:10300 hours of coursework at a cosmetology school. And Tennessee has collected a total
04:16of almost $100,000 from unlicensed hair braiders since 2009. Now, okay, we have to clarify that last
04:23point because there's a lot of misinformation on the internet. It is not a $100,000 fine per person.
04:29No, that's not what it is. That's how much the state has collected in total since 2009. So,
04:35I want you to weigh in on today's viewer poll. Do you think that all hair salon braiders should be
04:40licensed? Vote A for yes or B for no using the hashtag Essence Now and we'll read the results later in the
04:46show. Joining me to talk all about this controversy are Suzy, CEO of Hair by Suzy, celebrity hairstylist
04:53and beauty expert Monet Everett, and via Skype, co-founder of Unruly.com, a site dedicated to black
05:00women, black hair, Antonia Opia. Welcome everyone. Hello. Hello. Thanks for having us. Yeah, welcome.
05:07You guys look great. Suzy, let's start with you. Do you agree with the state of Tennessee that all salon
05:12hair braiders should be licensed? You know, I'm kind of in between. I agree that you should have
05:18a license because I feel like with natural hair, you have to know exactly what natural hair consists of.
05:26You have to protect it. You have to take care of it. And for many years, I didn't have a license.
05:32And just about a few years later, I decided to take that leap and actually go get my license only because
05:38I wanted to be taken as a professional hairstylist. Yeah. I just feel like it's a little bit unfair
05:45as far as the pricing. I think there should be. It's excessive. Yeah, it is. I think there should
05:50be some type of warning at least like, okay, you know, take some time to, you know, at least one year
05:56to get your license and even having like some type of scholarship or backings for people who can't
06:03afford to get a license. Right. So that's my next question. As someone who's gotten your license,
06:07who typically pays for this license? You. Oh, you could be the individual. So you're already in the
06:13hole before you start out. You have to pay for your license. Wow. Absolutely. Now, Antonia,
06:17you're based in France, but you have an at-home natural hair styling service in the US.
06:22Did you face any licensing challenges and do the rules differ because your company is not a salon?
06:28No, we adhere to the rules defined by New York State. So all of the stylists that we work with,
06:37are licensed. I feel similar to Susie about the licensing. I think if I were to sum up my opinion,
06:45I'd say that I am not for the complete deregulation of natural hair styling, but
06:51I'm more for catering that regulation to the actual craft. I think oftentimes the people that are
06:58making these decisions and setting these rules aren't necessarily people that are representative of
07:04us, they may represent us, but they don't necessarily know what exactly goes into taking care of a black
07:10woman's hair and the different levels of that care and styling. And so what I think we're really seeing
07:17is a need to evaluate the requirements that have been put in place and make sure that we're catering to
07:24the various types of markets that exist underneath that industry. That's a really good point,
07:30because some have argued that the people that are going to come up with these regulations and these
07:33laws, how much do they really know about our hair? Now, Monet, some salon owners in Tennessee think that
07:38the 300 hours of schooling is just a waste of time. What would you say to that?
07:42Well, I am a big advocate of regulation and licensure. I do believe that hair braiding,
07:49cooking, a lot of things that we've grown up with have a lot of socioeconomic concerns,
07:53and these are ways that women are able to take care of themselves and their families. But a lot of
07:58people forget that most of us that go through licensure programs, we start that because we are, we have
08:05God-given creative talents. So yes, you may have always known how to braid hair. Most people already know
08:12how to cook, but you still go for your licensure and your regulation. I do not believe they need a full
08:16cosmetology license. However, I do believe they need to learn about sanitation, traction, alopecia,
08:22infectious disease control, a lot of different things that, you know, I've patronized many
08:28braiding salons and I don't feel like they're really taking care of the hair in some situations.
08:33And I believe that as a consumer, you have a right to feel like you can trust the professional that
08:39you go to because the average consumer does not know the difference between a natural hair stylist,
08:44a regular Joe Bro, a licensed hair stylist. And we all work very hard to attain our license to be
08:50able to give the best, most healthy service available. Yeah, because you don't want to just
08:54go to someone who doesn't take care of your edges because we've all lost our edges messing around with
08:57that. Traction, alopecia is real. Now how much do cosmetology schools really focus on natural hair,
09:03right? As people that have completed the course, is it a huge part of the curriculum? Well, they actually
09:08don't. They don't at all. It's not a huge focus, but I am a true believer that there are not huge
09:14differences between hair. So in terms of infectious disease, traction, alopecia, that's not something
09:20that has to be specifically targeted to natural hair. If you grab on anybody's hairline and pull
09:25it back, you're going to rip it out. If you leave a chemical too long on anybody, you're going to rip it
09:30out. If you do not sanitize your tools and your kit, you're going to cause disease. And I keep using
09:36a strong word disease because you part someone's hair too strong, you scratch that scalp, you open up to
09:42bacteria. That leads to disease and infection. That has nothing to do with natural hair or not.
09:47That's anyone's hair. That has real repercussions though. And maybe some may argue that that's why
09:51you need to sort of regulate it because stuff like that can happen. Susie, tell me about your
09:55experience about going through school. You said they didn't focus on it at all. How did you get
10:00knowledgeable about it? So me coming into cosmetology school, I just realized, okay, this is something that
10:05I really have to take serious because if I want to be noticed as someone that's professional and I want
10:11people to come to me and know that, okay, she's good in natural hair care, I have to go to school.
10:16So me going into cosmetology school, I noticed all of the instructors or most of the instructors
10:21don't really know about natural hair. I ended up teaching the teachers like, okay, this is about,
10:27this is how you twist out. This is how you break. You were telling them to become the teacher.
10:31Now I have to ask you, were most of them white or were they black? Um, both. Both.
10:35Okay, so you had to teach the black teachers as well how to take care of our own hair.
10:38Both, exactly. Wow.
10:40Well, absolutely, because when you think about the study of cosmetology and you look at natural hair,
10:45the natural hair just became popular in the last 20 years or so. So you have to think the people that
10:50went to cosmetology and are now teaching, a lot of times there's a time gap. So they're just getting
10:54into it. They're just becoming able to appreciate, you know, the focus and the style involved. So there's a
11:00really steep learning curve, but fashion changes. It evolves over time. It evolves. Yeah. So in
11:05another 20 years, we're going to be saying, well, why don't you know about this? Why don't you know
11:09about that? It's absolutely no different. It's so fluid. Now, Tony, I'm curious to know, what advice
11:14would you give someone who is thinking about getting their hair braided? Like, should they ask
11:18as they walk into the salon? Are you licensed or not? Oh, absolutely. I think also when you're,
11:25when it comes to hair, hair is such an emotional, or it can be an emotional thing because it's
11:30attached to your appearance. When you're, when you're putting yourself in the hands of a stylist,
11:36there's a, there's a lot of emotional risk involved because if she doesn't do a good job,
11:41it could mean that she either harms you physically by braiding your hair too tight,
11:45or you end up with a hairstyle that you don't love and you have to go to work the next day with that
11:49hairstyle. And so many consumers you'll find are already doing a lot of research before they even
11:55select a hairstylist. And so, um, whether or not we have regulation, I think that the, the,
12:02the market would dictate what sort of standards, um, would be set because a lot of, a lot of
12:09consumers are very discerning when it comes to choosing stylists. And most, most consumers are
12:13going to want someone that's reputable, whether or not that means they have a, um, a license or it
12:18means that they have a, a queue of, um, of consumers that or clients that, that sing their praises.
12:25So do your research, definitely ask. Now ladies, are there any unions that hairstylists can join to
12:30really push the fight forward? Well, there is a local 798, but that's more for styling hair on
12:38sets and with celebrities and plays and things of that nature. I was just talking about this the other
12:44day. I felt like there should be some type of union or some type of society that brings
12:50hairstylists together that, um, lets people know where you can find the cosmetology license or
12:55bookings or just everything all related to hair, even as far as payment as well, because a lot of
13:01people, we get, they get into the business of hair and they don't even know how much they should be
13:06getting paid. They don't have any idea on the business side, you know? So I feel like there's a,
13:11there's a gap that needs to be filled within the hairstylist and the consumer. There's an area
13:17of opportunity there. Exactly. Yeah. There are a few coalitions that get together, but there's
13:21nothing that I feel that is natural and there's definitely nothing that targets, um, so there's
13:26nothing national and there's nothing that I feel targets natural hair. Yeah. So Monet, we were also
13:31talking offline about how a lot of these braiders are mostly from Africa and they are working in these
13:35salons and that really adding these fees. Now Susie, I know you're nice. I know you got some thoughts on this,
13:41that putting these excessive fees on them might end up having real socioeconomic,
13:45um, repercussions on them. I'll let you get the final word and I'll get everyone else's final word.
13:49What do you think about that, Susie? I feel like there should be a, a standard because I have some
13:55clients that come in and they're like, oh, you know, I went to a salon and it's, you know, in Harlem
14:01or whatever, and they pulled my edges. They don't know about my hair. My hair's breaking out
14:07and they're afraid. They're even afraid to even try someone new. And I have to tell them, okay,
14:12you know what? I'm licensed. I know what I'm doing. Not only am I licensed, but I do know what I'm
14:16doing. I'll take care of your hair. I'm not going to pull your hair. I have to explain to them.
14:20Then they feel comfortable, like, okay, she cares. Right. You know, so she's invested in my hair as well.
14:25So I feel like there should, there should be some level of, of standards as far as
14:30the license in the African shops, because they might not know. Right. They might. And that's
14:35part of the educational process as well. Antonia, I want to get your final thoughts on this.
14:40Yeah, sure. By the way, I'm Nigerian too. Hey, Susie. Hey. Um, so yeah, I think, um,
14:46this is a part of the argument that, that sort of, um, pains me a little bit because I know what it means
14:51to, or what it might be like for those women that perhaps don't necessarily, or aren't as, um,
14:59integrated into the, the systems or the culture that they're, the communities that they're, um,
15:05that they're in. So, so I can, I can see how it might be an added, um, barrier for them. And, and,
15:12and I can perhaps assume that a lot of them are making a good amount of their livelihood from
15:17what they're doing. But again, I think, um, when it comes to doing someone's hair,
15:22um, it's, it's risky or it can be risky business. If like, I would hate to see one of those women be
15:28sued or be shut down because, you know, someone lost all her, all of her hair because, you know,
15:35it was, it was really too tight or something like that.
15:37Oh, cause it is painful to lose your edges. Lord, that pain is real. Ladies. Thank you so much for
15:42joining us this conversation. We could keep going. Kayla's reading our social media feeds,
15:47right now for your comments. Hey Kayla, what are people saying? Okay. So we're asking,
15:51do you think all salon hair braiders should be licensed? A for yes. B for no.
15:54Joe Ellsworth go on YouTube says you need to get your license. Black Mage 2030 says,
16:00had I not known someone who contracted lice after getting her weave installed in someone's home,
16:04I'd be for getting rid of the license requirements, but people can be nasty and requiring classes on
16:08sanitation and best practices is not a bad thing. So a couple of folks on Facebook are saying,
16:14sorry, Shayna Raufer. Yes. I want you to be serious about my hair. Vida Crawford says,
16:19go to the girl next door that is licensed better to protect you in these times.
16:23But a lot of votes for no coming in. So a lot of people aren't here for it.
16:27On Facebook, Helen Irby says, it's all about the money and they,
16:29Tennessee officials just want some of it. Yeah. As she, she, these names says,
16:34just another sneaky way to take money from black people for being black.
16:37Hmm. And where, where is that money going? Okay. All these fines. Where's that money going? So
16:41listen, we're still taking your votes for today's viewer poll. And the question is this,
16:45do you think that all salon hair braiders should be licensed?
16:48Use the hashtag essence now to vote a for yes or B for no. And we'll read the results and more
16:54of your comments later on in the show. Now coming up, we're talking to Monica about her adorable kids
16:59and how she handles having a blended family. But first,
17:03Jillian Hervey of Lion Babe talks curly hair, wigs, and more in our series, My Main Moment.
17:15The hairstyle that makes me feel the most beautiful is my big curls. I'm a free spirit,
17:20and I love when my looks kind of reflect that.
17:23My relationship with my hair has continually evolved. I grew up around a lot of white girls,
17:35and I didn't really have a reference for curly hair around me. So I kind of wanted to just fit
17:40in. And then as I started to grow more, um, I experimented with weaves and clip-ins and braids
17:47and everything just to try to figure out what felt the most me. You know, I changed the color of my hair,
17:51and kind of when I did that, my whole life transformed as well. I just felt that it was
17:55the right color for me. I felt that my little lioness was coming out to play.
18:04I think anyone can wear their hair whatever way they want. I think there's so many ways
18:09to express yourself. I've never really been shy about admitting that I do wear wigs and stuff. I
18:16think it's performative. It's a way to express yourself. I just think people should embrace
18:20whatever looks they want to do, and no one should judge each other about it because,
18:24you know, that doesn't get anyone anywhere.
18:30Black is beautiful means really everything to me. It has transformed my life. I think as soon as I
18:37embraced what that is, it connected me to just the community of beautiful women and men around me.
18:44to know that there's so many people like me that share my story. It's just inspiring. It makes
18:49you feel confident and also makes you feel that you're doing this for more than just yourself.
18:53And also to never give up because there's never been a time in history where black people have
18:58given up. And I don't think there ever will be a time when we give up.
19:01You're watching Essence Now. I'm your host, Makon Jlovu, and we are too happy to welcome to the studio
19:17one of our favorite true R&B sangers who is currently hunting for the next big thing in music. Monica.
19:24Hey, Monica. Hello. How are you? Very good. You look great. And welcome to Essence Now. So tell us
19:30about this new project where you're looking for new artists. Yeah, you know what? It's just a fun
19:34way to kind of pay it forward. I look at it like there's so much talent out there and it's sometimes
19:40hard to find or have an outlet. Find an outlet, have an outlet, create an outlet. So this is just a
19:46different way. A lot of those that follow me, whether it's through monica.com or my social media,
19:52they know that I interact a lot with them. And they often tell me that, hey, I produce, I write.
19:57So this is an opportunity for them to win the chance to do exactly that. Create the record for
20:02me and record it with me. And I just think that it's fun too. You get a chance to hear as generations
20:08change, music is changing. So it just gives you a chance to be in touch and also give back.
20:13So the name of the contest is called Drop the Beat. What do people have to do in order to enter?
20:17Drop the Beat. Well, you know, you send it directly to us and I put all of the directions
20:21on monica.com. You go there and we made it very simple so that we don't have any difficulties or
20:28any issues as we go about it. But what I'm looking most forward to is I think people have their own
20:34perception of artists. And as I listen to this music, it'll tell me a lot about what they feel
20:40and what they've learned about me over the last 20 years. So I'm looking forward to it.
20:43So it's songwriters, it's beat makers, it's everything.
20:46Yes. Oh, I can't wait. Now, speaking of music,
20:48we have to talk about your music. What is the status of new music?
20:52We just started back working on it. I felt it important to me to kind of get back in touch
20:57with the people again. I spent a lot of time making sure that my family is okay. I got three children
21:03that are just amazing. And I just wanted to make sure that I got back in touch. So we went out on tour,
21:09myself, Escape, Tamar Braxton, Zonique, and June's Diary. We went out every night on an all-girl tour
21:16for like 31 cities. And it was just amazing to really get back in touch with the people that
21:21started with all of us. And so I spent a lot of time working on that. And then the show calls kept
21:26coming. And we finally said, you know what, we're shutting down to just really focus on
21:31what the music will be like and working with different producers. I have a wish list and I'm sure
21:35that there are people out there that I will work with that maybe you've never heard of. Yeah. Can
21:39you share with us what that wish list is like or who those people are? Oh, of course. I always make
21:44sure I call Dallas Austin. That's where it started. That's where it began. We always get together,
21:49Missy Elliott and I, Polo to Don, Timbaland who contributed some crazy stuff to the last project.
21:56But I'd like to work with Pharrell. I like to work with Zaytoven. I like to work with Metro Boomin.
22:01I like to work with just people that also understand where I come from because my music,
22:06I think the authenticity of it has been there because I was okay with being me. I was okay with
22:11not being like everybody else and talking about some of the hard subjects and being unashamed of
22:15the things that I've done and things that I've experienced. So with that thought in mind,
22:20I want some music from some that don't know me and then some that really know me. That know the
22:24history and the past. Exactly. Can we get a date on it? Exactly. I don't even have a date. And you know what,
22:29my best records ever, they never had a date. It was all about the feeling. When you start thinking
22:35about the politics of it and if we do it in this time frame, then we can do this. Or if you spend
22:39this much, we can do that. Right. I think you start to kind of mess with the creativity of it.
22:44And sometimes that's unavoidable. But in this case, I'm very fortunate that I don't have to
22:48think about that and we'll just work until it's right. Well, we can't wait. We'll definitely be
22:52looking out for that whenever it comes out. So speaking of music, this is the 20th anniversary of
22:57The Boy Is Mine. It's been 20 years. Yes. Now, why do you think that song still resonates with so
23:02many people? You know, I think that that song kind of marks a date in people's lives in one respect.
23:11Two, Brandy is one of our greats from that entire era. So you take two girls that are complete opposites,
23:19you blend them together and you make a record. And then we have Makai Pfeiffer in the video.
23:23And the good part about it was at the end, we turn on him. So I think girls collectively enjoyed
23:30not just the sound, but also the visuals. But that song was so well produced and created because we
23:37didn't know each other before we recorded it. But it automatically made people think and assume
23:42that we did. And I think that that comes with great production. Rodney Jerkins and LaShawn Daniels and Fred,
23:50all of them were in this room. And they were just given their ideas and they were young and
23:55just just very lively at heart. And just I think they saw the vision when they created the record.
24:01So I'm very fortunate that they brought me into it. I mean, it wasn't my song. It was hers.
24:05It was her song. Absolutely. I know you guys worked together in 2012. It all belongs to me. Is there
24:10any chance that you guys could work together in the future or we you know what it all belongs to me
24:14was done by Rico Love, which is another producer that's become full out family to me. And one thing about
24:20Brandi and I think there's always room for us to work or do whatever we want to do or choose to
24:24do with each other. Always. I think you never get moments back. I always tell people we're not trying
24:29to duplicate what we did before. We understand that that's a moment in time. Right. But when we make
24:34other music, you know, we don't even, you know, want it to be the idea that we're trying to redo or
24:41recreate that. It's got to be something new. It's always new and fresh and different. Yeah. Well,
24:45we're open to it. So hopefully we're putting it out there that we would love to see a new Brandi
24:49and Monica track on the record. I know Whitney Houston was someone who was really important
24:52to both you and Brandi. And there've been several films made about Whitney and also recently one
24:57about Bobby Christina. Now, having known Whitney personally, what are your thoughts on these projects?
25:02Did you watch them? I didn't. You didn't watch them. I make sure that I don't watch them. Yeah. And
25:06um, honestly, I never really get into, I've never spoken my feelings on it. I think that
25:12if her mother feels it's okay, then it's okay. If and when her mother or Miss Dion or any other
25:20person who's alive, they're, they're portraying in this movie, don't agree. It shouldn't be done.
25:25There has to be some respect there. There has to be some, um, honor given because she is a great
25:32regardless of if she's living or deceased, there'll never be another her. And what she did for people
25:37like myself went far beyond the music, went far beyond the television screen. She came into my life,
25:43you know, musically when I was very young, but at 18, when some of the most traumatic things were
25:48happening, she didn't call me. She flew there and stayed there. That's not something that you find
25:53often, especially with people who are consumed with themselves, but she was such a selfless person.
25:58And I think that it's very selfish of a person to create something about someone that cannot give
26:03consent. Now, if her family is saying it's fine, which I don't know the details of that,
26:07but if Miss Sissy is saying it's okay, then it's okay. Because if you're doing it outside of that,
26:13then I think that it's just, even if it's not problematic for you legally, because we are public
26:18domain to a degree, it's morally not right. And that's just my opinion. Yeah. You know,
26:24and you're entitled to that since you had such a close base. Yeah. I wouldn't do something that
26:30her family didn't want done or she didn't, the songs you hear me sing of her, she chose for me to
26:35sing. You know, when I put them in the show, she had certain ones that were favorites of her,
26:39like you give good love that she liked for me to sing in particular. And so I still do it. And if I do
26:45anything, when we did the BET awards, myself and Brandi, we did this whole segment for her,
26:50her mother put it together and actually sang on it. That's the way you do it. Right. That's a great
26:55way to honor her. The only way, the only way. Now we're going to switch gears here for a second.
26:59We love seeing the photos that you post of your family on social media. They're so cute.
27:04You have a blended family with your husband, Shannon Brown. Were there any struggles you had
27:08in making your blended family work and how did you overcome them? You know what? I'm very no nonsense.
27:12So if it doesn't make sense, then I don't participate. And I think that that,
27:17you have to think of the children first at all times. And the reality is, is that if it's not
27:24about them, then it's not up for discussion because we have to tuck our feelings, you know,
27:28as a blended family and say, okay, what will be best? And what's the best way? We were very fortunate
27:33because my boys were really young. So at two and four, they looked at, looked at it like, oh my God,
27:39he treats us amazing. He's so good to us. He enjoys teaching them about sports. And my middle son is
27:46very, very active in sports. Oh yes. He plays every sport you can name with the exception of
27:52baseball, which we keep trying to get him to play. But it was just, I think it was easier for us
27:57because they were younger, you know, and they were able to get a chance to just know him and not have
28:03all these other feelings. And I'm appreciative to all of those that are in my life. There was never a time
28:09where their other side of the family made it difficult. No, they never made that difficult.
28:17So that's where the respect lies. And I think it comes, you get what you give, you know, when you
28:21give respect, you get it. And my children are very well behaved when they go over with their brothers
28:26and they go to have a good time. They show the love that I've taught them and instilled in them. So
28:32it's been pretty cool. Monica, thank you so much for stopping by. For more information on
28:36Monica's drop the beat contest for new artists, please visit monica.com. More Essence Now is up next.
28:54All right, ladies. So no need to spend your whole entire check at the hair salon for a great color.
29:00Clairol Professionals has come up with this new collection called flare me, which has all these
29:05amazing colors like clearly you, which is pastels, rose to the occasion, toughest teal, and power to
29:12the purple. I'm really digging these. It's quick and easy. And most importantly, it's not going to
29:17damage your hair. So I'm super duper duper excited about Cantu's newest additions to their amazing range
29:24of products. Have you ever heard of an apple cider vinegar dry co-wash? Well, Cantu has created one.
29:31It is part dry shampoo, part conditioner, and all the way fabulous. They also created an amazing
29:37strengthening treatment. So this is a mask for heat damaged hair. It really promotes growth.
29:43Make sure you get your hands on both of these items. So Cream of Nature also has some Nunu with their
29:50Argan Oil from Morocco line. Speaking of apple cider vinegar, this is their new clarifying rinse with
29:56apple cider vinegar. Then they came out with this amazing flexible styling snot. Yes, it's called
30:01snot. I know it sounds gross, but it's really great because it smooths your edges, it tames the frizz,
30:07and it promotes really great shine. Last but not least, Cream of Nature's cult favorite is their edge
30:14control, but they made it even better by coloring it black so it actually blends in with your hair. So
30:19genius. So that's it, but you know there's always more. Check back next week for Dope Stuff on My Desk.
30:32You're watching Essence Now. I'm your host, Makon Dovu, and earlier in the show we were discussing the
30:37fight between natural hair braiders and the state of Tennessee over its licensing requirements. Many
30:43stylists say that the licensing fees are too high and that they shouldn't even have to be licensed,
30:47considering that natural hair doesn't require chemicals. And our ear to the social media
30:52streets, Kayla has been reading your comments. Hey, Kayla, talk to me what they saying. Okay,
30:57so a couple of people still not here for it. Michelle Ross says, black women have been braiding
31:02hair for centuries and now the state needs to cut. Get out of here. At Crew Flow Dollar says,
31:07there's literally no possible explanation for this other than racism. Why would you need extra
31:11certification to do something that doesn't involve chemicals or anything? But an overwhelming
31:15response for A, for yes. Fania Carlson on Facebook says, in the salon, yes. But if I personally choose
31:21to allow you to braid my hair on your front porch, then no. I know from the beginning I'm taking a risk.
31:26Stacy Kimball says, yes, they should have a license. You want your doctor and dentist to have a license,
31:29right? So same for your stylist and barber. Same should apply for braids, natural hair, whatever it may be.
31:34Hmm. Kayla, what do you think? I think you should definitely have a license. You should have a license? I mean,
31:39if we're in your house, you know, it's fine. But I mean, at the salon, I want to see it like on the walls next to the posters.
31:43So I need to be up there hanging. All right. All right. It's time to see the results of today's
31:48view of poll. And we asked you, do you think all salon hair braiders should be licensed? And here's
31:53how you voted. Let's see how you voted. Wow. 56% say yes, you should have a license and 44% say no.
32:02You know what? I agree with the people that say, yes, you should totally have a license because
32:05there's just, we've seen the effects of what can happen. You can lose your edges. I'm so serious
32:08about those edges and a lot worse can happen. So it should definitely be regulated, but make sure that
32:13people can get the proper access to the education and just, you know, make sure it's done right.
32:17Right. I thanks to Monica and all of our guests for coming through. If you missed any of today's show,
32:22you can watch the replay on essence.com and see all our videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel.
32:29And remember to tune in next Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern for an all new Essence Now.
32:35I'm Makone Glovo, and I will see you then. Bye.
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