Natural Hair Certified – Why it is Important

Imani and Angelica, co-founders of Umoja Kulay, are natural hair experts on a mission to
revolutionize the beauty industry. They created Umoja Kulay to provide comprehensive education
on Black hair to licensed professionals, students, and individuals. As licensed cosmetologists, they
understand the importance of proper education and representation in the industry.

The beauty industry, specifically the hair industry, has been considered eurocentric and has
fundamentally never strayed. Most cosmetology schools in the country only offer a few pages out of
the thousand+ on Black Hair – and some of that includes relaxers. The problem is that the birth of
all professional stylists come from this one system of learning and in order to ensure that the black
community has their crown taken care of, we must implement the education on each level – to the
students, the currently licensed professionals and to the individuals in the Black community. So,
they did!

To date, Umoja Kulay has hosted 3 Natural Hair Certification Programs, taught over 100 students,
traveled to 10+ schools, and certified 10 people in our certification program, with many more on the
way. Umoja Kulay plans to expand our reach by hosting our certifications at major festivals such as
SXSW, Essence Festival, and ABFF. Our ultimate mission is to remove ALL EXCUSES as to why
anyone in the profession cannot be educated.

The name Umoja Kulay represents both Imani and Angelica’s cultures. Umoja means Unity in
Swahili, and Kulay means Color in Tagalog. They are committed to providing accessible education
on Black hair to people all over the world, with a focus on promoting unity and diversity in the
industry.

Join Imani and Angelica in their efforts to bring accessible education on Black hair to people all
over the world. Together, we can break down the eurocentric barriers that have long plagued the
industry and create a more inclusive and representative beauty industry for all.

For more information check out Umoja Kulay Profile: https://dite.ca/school/umoja-kulay/