Growing up in Amherst, Yasmin Brandford recalls her family being one of only about 20 Black families in the community.
She started learning how to braid hair at age 7, practicing on her Barbies and Cabbage Patch dolls. By the time she was 15 years old, people were paying her to braid their hair — a helpful skill for her family, too, since she grew up with eight sisters. This saved her mother from the frequent trips to Springfield she would have otherwise made to find a stylist for her daughters.
Brandford eventually left Amherst, but dreamed of returning one day. When she moved back 10 years later, she thought someone else would’ve opened a salon for Black hair in that time — but, as she puts it, “it was always supposed to be me.”
Fifteen years ago, Brandford opened Amherst Extensions & Beauty Salon on West Street, where she “builds self-esteem for a living.” Helping clients feel good about themselves and their hair is her favorite part of the job, she said.
Her expertise spans a wide range of traditional and modern techniques, including cornrows, box braids, Bantu knots and twists, as well as dreadlocks, faux locs, and classic French braids. Even the weaves she puts in clients’ hair are secured with a micro-braid close to the scalp.
Brandford demonstrated how to create each type of braid and talked about the history of Black hairstyles on Feb. 18 at the Lebrón-Wiggins-Pran Cultural Center at Hampshire College as part of a Black History Month presentation, titled “Cornrows and Conversation,” which was held exclusively for students of color. Before the presentation, ten students shared a meal of pizza and soul food — including curry chicken, collard greens, and Jamaican-style rice and peas — all prepared by Yasmin. The atmosphere was relaxed as friends laughed and talked over plates of food on chairs and couches.
Many of today’s most popular Black hairstyles, like cornrows and box braids, can be traced back thousands of years and are steeped in cultural significance and meaning. In ancient Egypt, elaborate hairstyles and intricate designs were a status symbol. In polygamous cultures in Nigeria, the main wife was distinguished by having the best hairstyle. In Rastafarian culture, dreadlocks are still a symbol of spiritual dedication, strength and resisting oppression.
Slaves braided map patterns into their hair to show escape routes — depicting rivers or paths and meeting points, for instance — which was helpful, since many slaves taken from Africa were from different tribes and didn’t speak the same language.
Within the last century, many Black women wore wigs over cornrows to hide their natural hair. Wigs were curled and styled to more closely reflect their white employers’ hair, Brandford said. It wasn’t until the Civil Rights movement that afros and natural hairstyles came into fashion. In the 70s and 80s, stars like Michael Jackson popularized Jheri curls — think of his Thriller-era hairstyles — but those, too, more closely reflected white hair types than natural Black textures.
Now, Brandford said she hasn’t put a relaxer into a client’s hair in more than six months, and hasn’t received a request for Jheri curls in a year. Trends come and go, as will likely be the case with relaxers and Jheri curls, but Brandford is glad to see her clients embracing their natural hair.
“I’m so proud of us for coming into our own when it comes to our hair,” Brandford said. “It really does make us who we are, and what would be more natural?”
Many Hampshire students in attendance noted the difficulty of finding local stylists who specialize in Black hair. Some turn to fellow students on campus who can braid, but these options are often temporary and vanish during school breaks or after graduation.
“People [like Brandford] don’t always show up on the internet for real, or you have to travel,” said Xavri Valdez, who was practicing braiding techniques on Brandford’s mannequin after the demonstration. “The places you do find are at least like 30 minutes-plus away, and not everyone has a car.”
Valdez explained that many Black students unfamiliar with Brandford’s salon often make the trip to Springfield just to find a stylist.
Because of the salon’s location near the Moan & Dove and El Comalito, Brandford said she has had area college students — including from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Smith College — visit her salon for appointments. Many clients have found her through word of mouth, she said.
Some Hampshire students shared stories of attempting to braid their own hair, often with mixed results. The process is time-consuming and requires significant practice — many hone their skills on siblings or friends before finally attempting their own styles.
In Brandford’s view, the secret to a perfect braid lies in the parting. It’s a skill she mastered early; her mother used to joke that she had eyes in the back of her head because she could part and braid her own hair by feel, only checking the mirror once the work was done.”
Brandford makes it look easy. During the demonstration, she used a rattail comb to part the hair on a mannequin’s head, her fingers moving each section of hair at lightning speed as she wove sections together effortlessly to create various braid styles across the mannequin’s head, explaining her techniques aloud as she went.
“The sky is the limit when it comes to braiding,” she says of the style’s versatility.
Brandford is also an instructor. During the summer months, which tend to be slower, she teaches hairstyling classes at her salon once a week.
Between teaching and styling, Brandford envisions helping people feel good about their hair for the rest of her life.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life … and I’ll always continue to do so,” she said.
