On Friday, August 3, a major fight broke out at Brooklyn-based nail salon, Happy Red Apple Nails. Customer Christina Thomas was reportedly unsatisfied with her eyebrow wax and refused to pay for the service.
Her dissatisfaction with the brow job prompted a verbal argument with the manager, which eventually led to a physical altercation. Things quickly escalated, as you can see in the now released tape, and Thomas was assaulted with a broom by one of the nail salon’s employees, Huiyue Zheng. Needless to say, the disturbing video footage has sparked outrage among local residents and those who have watched it online. And as of Monday, August 6, several protests have ensued.
According to census data unearthed by CBS News, the East Flatbush area where the salon is located is 86 percent Black and 1 percent Asian. In spite of Black people having a strong presence in the community, Twitter users, like @mejusttea and @PoweredByBerto, have started compiling lists of Black-owned nail salons in Brooklyn.
Adding to these growing lists on Twitter is user Arielle Simone, who compiled a directory of salons in the NYC tristate area. Not to mention, upcoming-and-coming After Party star Teyana Taylor also has her own nail shop, Junie Bee Nails, in Harlem.
In the aftermath of this troubling incident, you can turn to these lists on social media and Google to find safe spaces that understand the power of the Black dollar.