Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 6-25-21

Features
Pharmacist Used Her Training To Develop Successful Hair Care Company
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
As a mother of two girls that loved to swim, Winnifred Bate-Pope searched high and low for a product that would protect their hair and combat the damage done by chlorine. She wanted prod- ucts that would treat the damage caused by swimming and protect their hair while in the water.
As a compounding phar- macist, she knew what worked together and what did not. Pope searched high and low and finally con- cluded that she would have to
NATURECEUTICS, INC.
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
While the community celebrates Juneteenth this month, and the community is pleased that the Cemetery Bill was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis a few Fridays ago, Yvette Lewis, President of the Hillsborough County Branch of the NAACP, says “nobody seems concerned about all the missing gravesites, and how the bod- ies have been disrespected. All of this fanfare is good, but what about the families of these deceased people? No- body is taking responsibility.”
Ms. Lewis is continu- ously looking for answers from the City of Tampa about the missing cemeteries that nobody seems to know or care about. Every time an- other missing gravesite is found missing, she’s the one who shows up to find out why and where are the bodies. She has been showing up with news reporters, researchers, archeologists, genealogists and historians as they search for answers.
Ms. Lewis said, “This is sad, the City of Tampa took/stole the land from African American people many years ago and erased African American History. This city continues to avoid taking responsibility and ac- tion for what has happened in the past to African Ameri- cans. African Americans in Tampa have the right to know the truth concerning the cover up of African American cemeteries. The NAACP Hillsborough County Branch will continue to advocate for justice and recognition for the forgotten/lost cemeteries and their descendants,” she said.
“It is the 100th-year an- niversary of the Tulsa mas- sacre when Black folks lost their lives and land. Tampa raised a flag in honor of June- teenth to celebrate when salves were freed in the West. When will Tampa tell the truth about the role African Americans played in shaping, molding, building, and creat-
YVETTE LEWIS President, Hillsborough County Branch NAACP
ing the City of Tampa?” From Zion Cemetery, to the Italian Cemetery, College Hill Cemetery; sites at MacDill Air Force Base, and King High School property, Ms. Lewis has visited them
all.
Last week, she stood with
the sponsors of the Cemetery Bill (HB 37), Senator Janet Cruz and Representative Fentrice Driskell, also Mayor Jane Castor and Leroy Moore of the Tampa Housing Authority. The press conference was held in Robles Park Village (site of Zion Cemetery) to discuss creating a task force for studying, identifying, and memorializing the aban- doned African American cemeteries and burial grounds across the state. Ms. Lewis expressed gratitude to all those who made the bill possible, including the re- searchers and writers for telling the African American story.
However, she still has a heavy heart. “My heart has been heavy ever since the dis- covery of the Zion Cemetery. As we prepare to memoralize these souls, there should not be no more building on this sacred land. This is not a cel- ebration for the City of Tampa nor the NAACP Hills- borough County Branch, be- cause we have many more forgotten/stolen African American Cemeteries to un- cover and stories to tell.”
develop her own products. She took aloe vera and began mixing it with other ingredi- ents including shea butter, mango butter, avocado oil, and coconut oil.
She started her company, Naturceutics Inc. in 1999. The hair line is named Na- ture’s Prescription and is aloe vera based.
Included in the line is shampoo, conditioners, pre- swim products, creams, and lotions. They are good for both natural and relaxed hair.
Pope’s most popular prod- ucts are the MVP Shampoo,
Pre-Swim Conditioner, and the M.I.S.T. Daily Condi- tioner. These products have been on the market, rescuing hair for over 20 years.
The longtime business- woman is also interested in holistic medicine and leading a holistic lifestyle.
When the products were first made, the girls’ hair- dresser made note of the im- provement of her daughters’ hair. Pope began giving the hairdresser the products.
Word of mouth orders rap- idly turned into looking for manufacturing facilities that would mix her formula and not just put her label on the products.
Pope states, “Our prod- ucts allow Black women to enjoy the pool or beach. It’s a great exercise that has been out of reach for many be- cause of damage to Black hair.
Pope is a graduate of the Florida A&M University Col- lege of Pharmacy, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She is married to Keith L. Pope and has two adult daughters, Adrienne and Brittany.
NAACP President Still Concerned About Missing Gravesites
WINNIFRED POPE Pharmacist and hair care
line entrepreneur
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