Empowering young girls during summer camp: the initiative of fostering 'braid buddies' in WA
Empowering Black Girls Through Hair Braiding: The Girls Braids Club Summer Camp
Chinenye "Chinny" Durueke, a mother of three and the founder of the Girls Braids Club, believes that braiding hair has been a significant part of her life, helping her pay for college and postgraduate schooling. This summer, Durueke's passion for braiding and empowering young girls came to life through the Girls Braids Club summer camp.
Over four weeks, more than 50 girls in King County learned a special skill set that could last them a lifetime - hair braiding. The camp took place in Auburn and Seattle, offering classes on various protective hairstyles, such as cornrows, box braids, and rope twists, from a professional braider with over 30 years of experience.
The Girls Braids Club summer camp empowers Black girls by providing hands-on braiding classes to develop natural hair care skills and cultural pride. It builds confidence and self-expression connected to natural hair, helping families save money on professional hairstyling by teaching DIY braiding techniques.
Durueke, who moved to Washington from Texas 13 years ago, has been living in the state for a decade and a half. She still falls back on braiding as a side hustle, and believes it to be a source of empowerment and freedom. Durueke held a friendly competition for the Auburn and Seattle campers on the final day of the hair braiding summer camp.
One of the participants, Aria, an 11-year-old girl, was named the most improved braiding student in the Auburn camp by Durueke. Aria's mother, Asia Jones, expressed her pride and happiness for her daughter learning the skill of hair braiding. Jones shared that she was not taught how to do her hair growing up, which affected her confidence, and she is glad that her daughter and other young Black girls get to learn this skill.
Durueke has been teaching braiding for over 30 years and has been offering her services to moms from her church and teaching girls at home for over a year. Durueke hopes to build a community of "braid buddies" in the Seattle area to help alleviate financial stress on parents' budgets and empower girls, especially Black girls with natural hair, to learn a skill that could be a source of income for future entrepreneurs.
Through partnerships, the free hair braiding summer camp provided mannequin heads, hair supplies, and free community spaces for the participants. Durueke plans to offer virtual and fall classes with funding support and continued partnerships. The Girls Braids Club summer camp aligns with broader summer program goals found at organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs, which aim to empower youth academically, emotionally, and artistically, while also helping families by providing affordable enrichment opportunities.
In summary, the Girls Braids Club summer camp empowers Black girls by providing hands-on braiding classes to develop natural hair care skills and cultural pride, building confidence and self-expression connected to natural hair, helping families save money on professional hairstyling by teaching DIY braiding techniques, and fostering a community of "braid buddies" in the Seattle area.
- Chinenye "Chinny" Durueke, a resident of the Seattle area for over a decade and a half, hopes to create a community of "braid buddies" in the Seattle region, offering opportunities for both personal growth and financial relief through DIY braiding techniques.
- Despite moving from Texas 13 years ago, Durueke's passion for braiding hair remains, serving not only as a means to empower herself but also to help young girls appreciate their natural hair and achieve a sense of cultural pride.
- The Girls Braids Club summer camp aligns itself with broader summer program goals, such as those found at organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs, aiming to enrich the lives of youth by empowering them academically, emotionally, artistically, and financially.
- With guidance from a professional braider with over 30 years of experience, the camp imparts essential skills in various protective hairstyles, such as cornrows, box braids, and rope twists, offering lasting benefits for participating Black girls.
- This community initiative, which also provides educational resources on home-and-garden care, fashion-and-beauty tips, learning opportunities in education-and-self-development, and more, ultimately contributes to building stronger, more confident Black communities in Seattle and beyond.
