Juneteenth is a day for us to commemorate Black freedom and honor our ancestors. Since June 19th, 1865– when it was declared that enslaved people in Galveston Bay, Texas were free– we’ve become college graduates, CEOs, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Additionally, we’ve dominated hair salons, nail shops, beauty lines, and more.
And, in honor of Juneteenth, below, a few beauty brand founders reflect on what the important day means to them.
Mary Imevbore, Founder of The Weave
“Growing up as a first-generation American from Nigeria, I’ve had to navigate infusing American culture with my own,” says Imevbore. One of the ways Imevbore did this was by creating a business of her own hair brand, The Weave. She provides luxurious synthetic and human hair to make wigs and other styles. Although Juneteenth wasn’t a holiday Imevbore and her family typically celebrated growing up, she’s found meaning in it on her own; expressing her own sense of freedom through her hair. “Juneteenth marks a day that allowed for our collective freedom, and, as I’m building and creating a company, an experience that centers our beauty, it’s something I will never forget,” says Imevbore.
For her, creation is a fundamental form of healing through a problematic history and today’s trying times. Imevbore encourages us, “We are at a tough time culturally as we are seeing so many elements of Black culture and creativity infused in mainstream media and entertainment, while Black Americans are still fighting for fundamental rights. My words of motivation center on resilience. We have to keep creating and moving through all of the roadblocks as our ancestors have faced.”
Nyakio Grieco, Co-Founder of Thirteen Lune
Thirteen Lune is an e-commerce one-stop shop for discovering beauty brands by Black and Brown founders. Their mission is to reframe how brands of color are received in hopes they can continue to take up space in the industry. Nyakio Grieco, the co-founder, keeps this mission in mind as she gears up for Juneteenth. Grieco tells us, “it’s a day to reflect on our community’s resilience. On this day, I like to focus on our work at Thirteen Lune in building a more inclusive and equitable beauty landscape.”
Winning Newcomer Of The Year in 2021, Grieco and her team know exactly what it’s like to push forward in an industry that isn’t always accepting. “Juneteenth reminds me that none of us are free until all of us are free. Equity is paramount to progress. This is at the heart of everything I do, personally and professionally.”
Ciara Imani May CEO and Founder Of Rebundle Co
Rebundle strives to provide quality hair products and education on how to braid our tresses. May knows how much power can form knowledge, as she hasn’t always felt like she was fully educated on our history growing up. “Unfortunately, I did not learn about Juneteenth until later in life. The school systems I went to were not particularly keen on teaching history in its entirety,” says May. Indulging in the words of Michelle Obama, Malcolm X, and Yaa Gysai is how May continues to educate herself and feel inspired to push the Black community forward through her brand and beyond.
“There’s power in how we show up and support each other, and I’m reminded of this every day as a founder in the black beauty industry,” says May. Supporting her community has become a form of empowerment in which May has found purpose. She often appreciates the joy that has come from the Black community after all we’ve endured