Page 50 - HarambeeSociety

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By Shaniya Hogan

Isis Brantley is a natural hair stylist who has
been a spokeswoman for black ancestral
culture for more than 30 years. In 1980 she
realized that her true passion was ancestral
braiding and natural hair. She then opened up a
braiding school and salon in Addison, TX called
Institute of Ancestral Braiding School .

In 1997, she was arrested in her shop for
braiding hair without a license even though at
the time there was no law saying that braiders
needed to have a license to braid. Many people
thought that the arrest was the states way of
intimidating underground braiders and subject
them to the same requirements as
cosmetologists. Brantley was targeted by the
state, because of her reputation as one of the
best braiders in the state. January of 2015
Brantley successfully won her case against the
State of Texas.

All of these things happening didn’t stop her
from doing what she loved, she was determined
to establish the movement of healthy hair for
black women. Although she worked on helping
hair get healthy, she also wanted to help her
students get better lifestyles and healthy
habits.

All of her ambition, self-confidence, and
perseverance led her business to success. Isis
Brantley is going to be the grand marshal at the
Afro Nubian Parade & Harambee Black Arts
Festival taking place on August 3, 2018, in
Homewood, PA, putting smiles on faces, and
spreading joy.