Home » blogs » Prometheus 6's blog

Apropos of nothing

by Prometheus 6
March 30, 2005 - 8:01am.
on Seen online

Mississippi Eases Hair Braiding Rules

Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2005
By: Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. -- Mississippi lawmakers approved a bill Tuesday that would lift licensing requirements for people who take money to braid hair.

Supporters said braiding is a part of African-American heritage that should be free of the state bureaucracy. Opponents of the bill said the practice needs regulation to prevent the spread of scalp diseases.

Current Mississippi law says a braider must hold either a cosmetology license, requiring 1,500 hours of education, or a wig specialist license, requiring 300 hours of training.

The compromise bill sent to Gov. Haley Barbour only requires hair braiders to pay an annual $25 fee to register with the state and take a self-test. They would also receive a brochure on sanitation.

latest article | previous | next

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Submitted by dwshelf on March 30, 2005 - 5:02pm.

Nearly all such government regulatory behavior is simply the effort of insiders to protect themselves from comptetition, to keep wages and/or prices high.

It's not often that it's as transparent, as ridiculous on its face as this situation.

Someone should be asking why a wig specialist license requires 300 hours of training, or a cosmotologist license requires 1500 hours. Why exactly do we need government protection from incompetent cosmetologists? Would that fear apply to two sisters in the bathroom in the morning?

link
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 31, 2005 - 1:06am.

I would send a pamphlet on sanitation, but many braiders also need to take a class on the dangers of braid-induced traction alopecia as well as proper scalp hygiene so that they can teach their clients. If you are paying $30 bucks an hour for a service, it better be safe and well-regulated. We see tons of bald-headed Black women walking around, and yet and still we remain in denial about the true causes, tight braids and weaves being one of them. (Abuse of chemicals is the other).

link