When I was working as a case manager/counselor in a domestic violence shelter, a family of four came into the shelter one evening. Mom, oldest son, daughter, and young little girl carrying her doll. I was showing them around. I showed them where they could access grooming items. I opened the closet filled with hair supplied but there were none for any of our type.

The young Black boy looked at the shelf of donated hair products — rows of items made for straight, fine hair — and said quietly, “Now we really gone look like we live in a shelter.” His words pierced through me. What he saw wasn’t just shampoo and conditioner — he saw confirmation of what too many of us have felt: that our needs, our culture, and our care don’t fit the template. That moment birthed Braid the Ladder — a reminder that Black hair is not vanity, it is identity. It is pride.

Access to products that honor our hair is access to dignity. It’s how we tell families like his, you belong here, and your care matters too.

Please donate hair care products for afro-textured hair to your local domestic violence shelters and places for persons who need housing.