The Black Student Union (BSU) hosted a hair show in honor of Black History Month.
The officers of the club put together an event featuring celebrity barber Shawna Harrison to educate students on the history of Black hair and its different styles.
Dorie Harrison, a senior marketing major from Nashville and BSU president, said the timing of the event was intentional since this year’s theme for Black History Month is Health and Wellness.
“We wanted to have an event that celebrates all Black hair,” Dorie Harrison said. “Natural. Extensions. Wigs. Braids. All those things.
“You know, because there are certain ways we protect our hair and certain ways we care for it that are different, and I think those ways should be highlighted and encouraged. Because everyone deserves to feel beautiful.”
The event, which was held in Zebbies Lounge, was an opportunity for students to build community and show off their most confident hairstyles.
Daniel Harvey, a sophomore computer engineering major, was one of the students to take to the stage for the demonstration. He said that he usually is indecisive when it comes to choosing cuts at a barbershop, but Harrison took time to educate him about different styles.
“I usually just say cut it low, or high, or whatever,” Harvey said. “She (Harrison) went through the process with me. Telling me the professional terms for what I wanted beforehand. I feel like now I know exactly what I want if I were to walk into a barbershop.”
Shawna Harrison also shared with the students some of her personal story and how she ventured into the world of hair during an open panel discussion.
Harrison said she hopes the event will help students build relationships by bonding over being their authentic selves.
“Everything we do is for our members,” Harrison said. “The Black and brown students of the campus. So a great outcome would be having a lot of our members and our non-members come and learn about Black hair and the health of it”