[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[MELONY LAUGHING]
MOTHER: Melony.
[MELONY LAUGHING]
MOTHER:
Melony!
Melony!
Come on, now.
Melony!
Melony! Come on.
[MELONY LAUGHING]
You hear me calling you.
GREAT-AUNT: Come on.
Come on, now.
Let's get it, girl.
[GRANDMOTHER CHUCKLES]
Stop fidgeting, Melony.
But it hurts.
I know it does, baby, but when
your mama's through with you,
you're gonna look like
a pretty little angel
and not like
some woolly old lion.
Ow! Why?
I don't want to be an angel.
I'd rather be a lion.
Why can't I have
my hair like this?
[LAUGHS]
Look at this. Look at this.
Baby, you can't go nowhere
looking like that.
MOTHER:
Nowhere. Nowhere.
[ROARING]
MOTHER: Melony, sit down.
Look. She's just free, honey.
Look at her.
[ROARING]
MOTHER:
Melony! Sit down.
GREAT-AUNT:
She just free, ain't she?
[]
MELONY:
Ode to my hair.
My hair defies gravity.
She is rebellious
and will never lay down
unless she wants to.
She is soft as a sponge
and brutal as a Brillo pad.
She can go from lyin' down
to Lion King
with just three drops of rain.
My hair--
Stop there, please.
[INDISTINCT WHISPERING,
LAUGHTER]
Miss Renshaw, would you tell me
what you thought
this assignment was?
Well, you asked us to explore
a part of our personal psyche
that we considered to be--
Substantial.
That's right.
TEACHER: Identifying.
And you chose your hair.
[STUDENTS MURMURING]
Hair, Miss Renshaw.
Perhaps next to toenails...
[LAUGHTER]
...the most superficial and
transient aspect of a person.
When the hippies grew
their hair long in the '70s,
they were making a huge
social statement.
And what statement
are you making?
[INDISTINCT WHISPERING,
LAUGHTER]
Do the assignment over.
And this time, dig deeper.
Next.
Hair is a hallmark of beauty.
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
Whole societies have put
great value on hair,
from ancient Egyptians
to feudal Chinese.
And for him to just dismiss me
like that--
Ooh!
[GRUNTS]
Oh, God.
I'm so sorry.
KEVIN:
No harm done.
Whoever you were telling off
sure had it coming to him.
Oh, you heard me?
Kind of hard not to.
It's just my professor. He--
Can I ask you something?
Okay.
Is hair a thing to you?
Like not your hair specifically.
Just hair in general.
Like, does it mean
anything to you, or is it
like a superficial thing,
like a toenail?
Well, I don't think
I'd like to run my fingers
through my lady's toenails.
I've got to-- I've got to go.
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
CASEY:
He was cute!
He was just okay.
Well, he was into you.
He was talking about running
his fingers through your hair.
Just stop trying to hook me up.
Whatever.
What do you think?
You going out?
No. We're going out.
It's the St. Patty's Day dance.
Remember?
Ah. Yeah.
Casey, I've had to make
a lot of cultural adjustments
since coming to this campus.
You know, with all the loud
music that I can't dance to
and raisins in the potato salad.
Hey! But St. Patty's Day?
I'm thinking about how much
I don't want to spend tonight
saying no
to every drunk sophomore
who asks me
if I'm Black Irish.
Get dressed.
Green for luck. No excuses.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]
Under the anvil
Of the sun...
So, where's your friend?
Like a train, I come
I come
My body to dust
Scorched by the might
Of the sun
Burning light
Burning white heat
Hi.
You...look stunning.
[CHUCKLES]
No green for luck?
I couldn't feel any luckier.
Our love is the flame
That keeps on burning
I love to feel the rain
On my face
So, how long
are you here for?
Just one more week.
Oh.
I came for an evangelism
conference.
You're an evangelist?
[SCOFFS]
No.
I majored in philosophy
and religion, though.
So I wanted to see and feel
what the evangelists do,
how they move people.
I want to open
my own church someday.
In Mississippi,
to be closer to my family.
That's cool.
I work construction
to pay my bills.
What about you?
Well, I'm-- I'm a psych major.
At least I thought I was.
I'm...
I'm not so sure.
I'm starting to think maybe
there's something else for me.
"Whatever you can do or dream,
you can begin.
Boldness has genius, power,
and magic in it.
Begin it now."
That's beautiful.
No, that's Goethe.
You're beautiful.
[]
[CORK POPS, CROWD CHEERING]
[LAUGHS]
KEVIN:
Mississippi's a huge move.
I really hope
you're ready for it.
MELONY:
I have a Mississippi
in my mind that's warm
and rich and Black and real.
Maybe it's where
I'm supposed to be.
I don't want to be lonely
I put every last penny
In the tank of this pickup
Feels like
I'm finally home free
I'm pointing this truck
To Mississippi with love
MELONY:
I can't wait to chop it up
with your mom and G'Mom.
Ooh. Do they play bid whist?
KEVIN: Seriously, Mel.
My mom and G'Mom,
they're not warm and fuzzy.
It takes them a while
to adjust to outsiders.
MELONY:
Well, I'm not an outsider.
I'm your wife.
KEVIN: Mm!
MELONY: Oh!
[AIR HISSING]
Grab that doughnut
out of the trunk for me.
The doughnut is the--
Yeah.
I know what a doughnut is,
Kevin.
I'm sorry, city girl.
Oh! Ooh!
No! No, no, no!
It's fine.
Oh. Come on. Come on.
Kevin!
It's just water.
It's just mud. Relax.
Oh, it's just mud?
Yeah.
Oh, is that just mud?
Aah!
Huh? Is that just mud?
[LAUGHING] Stop!
You--
All right. All right!
All right. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Oh, my God.
Come on.
[LAUGHS]
Come on.
Aah!
BETTY:
Oh, they're here already!
Dee, I told you
to move these toys!
DEE:
Don't worry. I'll get 'em.
MELONY:
Hi!
Lord, what in the world is this?
Is that tire tracks
on her shirt?
Ma Betty, G'Mom!
I've heard so much about you!
Mm.
There's a sink and a towel
just inside to your left.
Come on, sis.
I'll show you.
Oh, okay.
Behave.
I'm Dee, Kevin's sister.
Oh! Oh, there he is!
There's my baby!
Still so handsome!
Oh! Oh!
Oh, come here!
G'Mom.
Hey.
So, you met Melony.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
[BETTY CHUCKLES]
KEVIN:
I'm sorry, babe.
I tried to warn you, but my mama
and grandmama are not exactly...
That's fine.
I'm fine.
[]
They don't know me.
I was wrong to expect more.
They just caught me
by surprise is all.
But I'm not scared
of some little old ladies.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS,
LAUGHTER]
Yeah.
Just a little more.
Can I get it for you?
I got it, babe.
BETTY:
Okay. Here you go.
A little bit of ham.
Oh, no, thank you.
You don't like to eat?
I eat mostly vegetables.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Okay.
You don't eat pigs.
You just roll around
in the mud like one.
KEVIN:
G'Mom, can I talk to you
in private, please?
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
[INSECTS CHIRPING]
[SIGHS]
[SHOUTING CONTINUES]
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
I was wondering how long
you'd last in there.
Welcome to the family.
I love my mama and my grandmama,
but you couldn't pay me
to sit through one of those
family dinners again.
Mnh-mnh.
That's why I spend
so much time in there.
Is that where you live?
[LAUGHS]
You must think
we are country sho' nuff.
No.
Baby girl, that is my salon.
Oh.
You want to look inside?
[]
DEE:
Sorry for the mess.
[SIGHS]
Do you have customers this late?
Lizzie works downtown till 7.
By the time she's fed her crew
and gets the baby to bed,
where else is she gonna go?
Is it just you here?
Mm. Today it was.
My shampoo girl, Aquanetta,
is seven months pregnant.
Has to rest her legs
every 20 minutes.
I am gonna have to find me
somebody else pretty soon.
Hm. Well, I can help.
You?
[CHUCKLES]
Yeah.
What you know about hair?
Not an awful lot,
but I can help you shampoo.
[]
KEVIN:
I'm sorry again
about my ma and G'Mom.
MELONY:
Huh. I don't know who
got cut worse, me or that ham.
I love Dee, though.
She even gave me a job.
KEVIN:
Hey, that's great, babe.
[]
The movers will be here
with our stuff tomorrow.
I'll be at the construction site
till 6.
Have a good first day with Dee.
I love you.
WOMAN:
Homemade peach?
DEE:
And some homemade
vanilla ice cream.
Girl, I am so glad to see you.
'Netta didn't come in at all.
I need you to use that
cream wash on Miss Cynthia there
and the rinse
in the blue bottle.
This is my sister-in-law Melony,
y'all.
She's gonna take real good care
of you.
Hi.
Y'all act like
y'all can't speak.
Hey.
Hi.
[WOMEN MURMURING]
Miss Cynthia, you've been
waiting for 30 minutes.
Go on over there.
Mm-hmm. Okay.
[]
Whew! Um...
Oh!
Well, I like it hot.
Okay.
But not too hot.
Like warm but not too cool.
Right.
You follow?
Yes, ma'am.
You got good hands?
Um, I'm not--
I'm not too sure.
[WOMEN MURMURING]
Can I--
Can I get your...
No. Mnh-mnh.
I keep this with me.
Sure.
I'm just gonna...
[COUGHS]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
MELONY:
Is that o-- Is that okay?
Mm-hmm.
Oof.
Oh.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Mmm!
MELONY: I'm just gonna...
Oh, yes!
Oh, that's good!
That's good.
Ooh, yeah!
That's good. Right there.
Right there.
Ooh-hoo-hoo!
MELONY:
And you're done, Miss Cynthia.
Oh. What?
Yeah.
I'm done? Ooh, Lord.
So I'm just gonna
lift you up now.
Ooh.
Just-- You good?
Wow.
Girl, I think I'm gonna need
a cigarette.
[LAUGHTER]
Ooh! You know,
you got the hands of life!
Whew!
Mm. I'm more than all right.
Uh, so, uh, who's next?
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
[BOTH LAUGHING]
I really like working
in your shop, Dee.
It's like this feeling
comes over me...
[]
...and my hands just know
what to do and...
Mm.
...how to move.
Yeah.
When I was touching
their hair...
...it felt like--
like I was healing them somehow.
Like I could feel
all of their tension and worries
just slide away.
And we really need the money.
Look, I know
it's just hair, but--
There is no such thing
as just hair
where Black ladies
are concerned.
Hm.
We are all about the hair--
What we do to it,
what it does to us.
Wherever two or more
are gathered...
we're talking about hair!
We are talking about hair!
That's right!
[LAUGHS]
Maybe it shouldn't be that way.
Well, the way I see it...
the first thing people notice
about us is that we're Black.
Mm-hmm.
The next thing
is how we wear our hair.
Then they judge us
on that, right?
Mm.
Like...
as if our hairstyle is gonna
tell them who we really are.
Why you think
so many Black women wear wigs?
Hmm?
Trying to fool 'em off, honey.
I never thought of it like that.
DEE: Ma Betty and G'Mom?
MELONY: Oh, those are wigs?
DEE:
They trying to
fool you off too, honey.
MELONY:
They trying. And failing.
[BOTH LAUGH]
BETTY: She's so disrespectful!
I don't know
what Kevin sees in her.
Mm.
She tried to cook dinner
and tried to make some chicken.
When I look at the chicken,
ain't no skin on it!
She broiled it!
Well, what-- what...
Wait.
Where was the skin?
She threw it out!
She what?!
Oh!
Well, that's the best part.
She's wasteful.
Mm.
[]
Oh. Look there.
G'MOM: Is that Miss Cynthia?
[BETTY LAUGHS]
Hey-- Hey there, Miss Cynthia!
Good afternoon, ladies.
I can't stop and talk,
you know.
I got to go get a place in line.
In line?
At Dee Dee's?
Oh, yeah! Everybody is fired up
about that Melony.
You know, she got good hands.
Mm.
I just might have to buy myself
a place in line.
I got to go! Bye!
She's selling seats?
KEVIN:
A hundred and twelve dollars?
Mm-hmm.
Doing what, now?
Hair. Shampooing hair.
I did sixteen heads today
at seven bucks a head.
Dee makes a k*lling
in that shop.
Working there
has been a godsend.
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
Hey.
Where is everyone?
Light day today?
No day.
Ain't got no water.
Is it the bill?
No.
It's G'Mom.
The shack technically sits
on her land,
and she owns the water rights.
This morning,
she had the county cut me off.
Why would she do that?
She doesn't want you
working here, Melony.
Says I got no water
until you're gone.
Oh.
Okay.
It's okay.
It's not okay.
G'Mom always pulls stunts like
this, just because she does--
Look, Dee.
[]
Don't let her hurt
your business.
Just tell her I'll leave.
I'm just gonna miss you.
Every head in this place
is gonna miss you.
You're my family, Dee.
And my friend.
Don't let these healing hands
go to waste.
I won't.
I promise.
WOMAN:
We're really excited
to have you starting with us,
Mrs. Armstrong.
Psychology major, huh?
MELONY: Yeah.
But I see you didn't
finish college.
Dropped out in your senior year?
Yeah. I just felt like
I wasn't getting anywhere.
I really want to make
a difference in this world.
Well, the world starts
coming in here at 5 p.m.
You'll be working
the night shift.
Check the ladies in.
Get them settled.
Okay.
Make sure everybody gets
one food box and one cot set.
It's your desk.
Okay.
Oh. A word of advice.
All of these women have stories,
and you do not have time
to hear them.
Nobody comes here happy,
Armstrong.
And their misery will drown you.
That's your coffee.
For you only.
Can't afford
to feed the masses.
Let's get
your paperwork done.
Sure.
Yeah. It's the graveyard shift--
8 to 6.
Pay's not great,
but we need the money.
And when will I see you?
I guess we'll have to
get creative.
I'm feeling creative right now.
Oh, yeah?
[CHUCKLES]
[]
Wait. Right now?
[LAUGHING]
Oh, my gosh!
You're gonna mess up my hair!
[]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
That bad?
It's terrible.
[LAUGHS]
But it's hot.
Yeah.
That's what I said
about my husband.
[BOTH LAUGH]
If you're not gonna drink it,
I will.
Uh...
Yeah. Sure.
Take it all.
I miss coffee.
I miss a lot of things,
but I really miss good coffee.
Which this ain't,
but it's like you said.
It's hot.
Ah. [CHUCKLES]
I'm Melony.
Leona.
Have you been here long?
Not here. Unh-unh.
I was at, uh, Langforth,
and then Wesley before that.
Lots of us,
we sort of run the circuit
until Social finds us
a place to land.
Some of the girls, they go back
to wherever they left.
But most of us,
we can't do that.
You have any lotion?
They never have any lotion
in this place.
It's like they never
heard of ashy before.
Don't they got lotion
in the showers?
Ladies!
Is there any lotion
in the showers?
[LAUGHTER]
You know ain't no lotion
in them showers.
[LAUGHS]
No.
What they do have, though,
is some cheap-a*s soap
and some paper towels.
Paper towels.
How you supposed to dry
your hair on paper towels?
Your hair?
Ain't no real shampoo
in this joint anyway.
RUDY:
I know that's right.
I tried putting
that green stuff in my hair.
Made it all stick together.
Clumped up like dreadlocks.
LYDIA:
Nappy hair.
When I pass my reflection
in a store window,
I say, "Ooh!"
Ooh!
"Who is that scary, messy woman?
That's not--"
"It can't be me!"
"It can't be me!"
Ooh! Girls!
Unh.
Um, can I get a freshen-up
on the coffee?
LYDIA:
Me-- Me too?
I feel like if you're doing
them, you might as well do me.
LEONA:
Ple-e-e-ase?
LYDIA:
Ple-e-e-ase?
When I left my house,
I was running for my life.
I didn't pack nothing.
My hair ain't seen a brush
for two months.
Wow.
Those little brushes
they give you? Heh.
They must be
for Barbie doll heads.
RUDY:
I just want some grease.
Any kind of grease.
My hair is so thirsty.
Girl, pshh.
I'm about to sell mine
as Brillo pads, okay?
[LAUGHTER]
When my hair doesn't feel
like my hair,
I just don't feel like myself.
[WOMEN MURMURING]
LEONA: You know?
That's why I keep my hat on.
But we can still see
your kitchen back there.
Aah!
[LAUGHTER]
LEONA:
You're supposed to be
my friend!
[LAUGHTER,
INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
MELONY:
Are you sure this is okay?
Oh, it's fine.
They left for a two-day
revival meeting last night.
I'm meeting them
at the hotel in Jackson.
You've got all day
and all night.
Thank you.
Try not to burn it down.
[]
Have fun.
Thank you, Dee.
All right. Take care.
Bye.
LEONA: Hey!
MELONY: Hey!
Thank you!
Hey, how are you doing?
What is this?
Well, you're gonna find out.
Okay.
Follow me.
[]
Come on, come on, come on!
Okay.
[GASPS]
MELONY:
Right this way, ladies.
Oh, my goodness.
Y'all.
Ooh!
I smell real coffee.
Yes.
A real brush!
Wow.
It's my sister-in-law's,
but today it's ours.
LEONA [GASPS]:
Oh, my...
I can do shampoo,
press and curl,
but nothing too fancy, okay?
Oh, girl, I know my way around
a hot comb and curlers, okay?
You got grease!
LYDIA:
Yes!
This coffee. Oh!
Enjoy, ladies.
[GASPS] Ooh!
Yes.
Thank you!
[CHUCKLES]
And, Miss Leona,
you're first up at the sink.
Oh! [LAUGHS]
Right over there.
No.
Somebody else can go first.
Unh-unh.
No, girl.
Age before beauty.
Go ahead.
Stop.
Screw you, chicky.
I'm just saying.
You...
Just gonna put this over you.
Okay?
[]
There.
All right.
LEONA:
Hm.
Hey.
I'm gonna have to
take your hat off now, okay?
Yeah?
Mm.
All right.
[WHIMPERS]
Just gonna...
Just gonna take it off.
There we go.
Oh. I'm sorry.
I hope it doesn't smell bad.
No. Of course not!
You're fine.
It's fine.
[WHIMPERS]
Come on.
Come on. I got you.
Okay. There we go.
[WATER RUNNING]
[]
[SOBBING]
[WATER STOPS]
Miss Leona?
Are you okay?
Did I hurt you?
No. It's-- It's just...
[SNIFFS]
I just haven't been touched
in so...long.
RUDY:
Go ahead, Miss Melony.
She'll be fine.
[LEONA WHIMPERS]
You got this, girl.
This is a healing, Miss Lee Lee.
We're all gonna get
a healing.
[EXHALES SHAKILY, SNIFFS]
Okay.
All right.
[WATER RUNNING]
All right.
Here we go.
Is that okay?
[]
Wow. Just...
Wow!
Look at you!
Look at you!
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
I'mma get this throne.
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
Girl, you look good!
Thank you!
[GASPS]
God bless you, Miss Mel.
You have a gift. Truly.
You look so beautiful.
Thank you.
All of you.
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
Kevin.
Hey.
Mm.
[GROANS]
Kevin.
Mm.
What's wrong? What's wrong?
Wake up.
You know how you said
you want to start
your own ministry one day,
when the time is right
and you hear God call you?
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
Yeah.
That's right.
Well...
...I think...
I think I hear God calling me.
I think I know my purpose.
It's something about hair.
God wants you
to be a hairdresser?
I don't know. Maybe.
I can't help feeling like
I should...do something.
I get that.
You do?
Yeah. Maybe you could start
a hair church.
Folks could tithe
their combs and brushes.
You could have
a special roped-off area
for folks with Jheri curls
so they don't drip juice
on everybody.
I'm being serious.
[LAUGHING] Okay! Okay.
Okay.
[CHUCKLES]
Whatever you're being called
to do, babe,
I support it.
Thank you.
Just as long
as you scratch my head
and keep me far away
from the weave choir, okay?
All right. Yeah. Yeah.
Scratch your head?
Mm-hmm.
What, like this?
Huh?
Stop. Stop.
[LAUGHS]
Give me a kiss.
Give me a kiss.
No.
Give me a kiss.
You don't deserve it!
[TELEPHONE RINGING]
Who's calling this late?
Hello?
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
[]
Oh, my God.
Oh, that's terrible.
I'll be right there.
What is it?
The pipes burst at the shelter.
The whole place is flooded.
They're moving the women out.
So, what are you gonna do?
Where are you going?
Those are my ladies, Kev.
I got to be there for them.
[]
[RAIN FALLING]
[LOCK RATTLING]
[SIGHS]
I'll notify you
when we can reopen.
You should go dry off.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Good night.
Good night.
Where's Lydia and Rudy?
Both of them shipped
to other shelters.
Just waiting
on my play brother Garvin.
I'll stay with him a while.
We're all split up now.
I know.
It sucks, right?
You see Lydia, though?
She gave 'em hell for making her
stand out here in the rain
with her hair freshly did.
[LAUGHS]
She was madder about that
than having to move again.
I told her, "Calm down.
All our hair got wrecked."
I'm sorry.
Hey.
It's not your fault.
Hell, we all got to be
princesses for a whole night.
Yeah.
All four of us.
Couldn't nobody tell us nothing.
It's just, you know,
water and nature
got the last word, as always.
I think that's him.
That's him?
Take care of yourself.
You too.
[ENGINE IDLING]
I'll see you again.
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
MELONY: I just wish
there was something more
I could do for them.
KEVIN:
You were there, baby.
That's enough.
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
Freedom hair.
What's that?
It's what I used to call this,
when my hair was just itself
and wild and free.
My grandmother, she let me wear
it out like this one weekend
when my mom was away.
One weekend of freedom
in 25 years.
Split ends, breakage,
pain, relaxer burns, and...
who knows
what other kind of damage
from more home perms
than I can count.
And for what, Kevin?
Straightness?
Why?
You're shaking.
Here's some soup.
Your favorite.
I think I'm gonna be sick!
[COUGHS, VOMITS]
All right. All right.
I got you.
All right. I'm here.
[GAGS, VOMITS]
Well, folks, it is not the flu.
And, Mrs. Armstrong,
you're gonna have a baby.
Uh, I'm...
DOCTOR:
You're pregnant.
W-- I'm pregnant?
Baby, we're pregnant!
Oh, my--
DOCTOR: Congratulations.
[LAUGHING] Oh, my God!
We're pregnant!
Oh, my God!
MELONY:
So I've got to learn to breathe?
Also here's a sample
of the vitamins you'll need.
Vitamins?
Sweetheart!
Pregnancy takes
all of the strength
and vitamins out of you.
Okay.
But--
Excuse me,
but your hair is magnificent.
Oh, my goodness.
I've never seen
anything like it.
How did you...
Where did you...
It's a little shop
called Bernetta's.
I found it passing by
in Memphis.
She's pretty pricy. Heh.
But, girl,
she can change your life.
There's nothing stronger
than the braid.
[]
MELONY:
I can't believe
it took five months
to get this appointment.
KEVIN:
Well, I can't believe
we drove to Tennessee
to get your hair done.
Melony, right?
Yeah.
Hello. I'm Bernetta.
Hi.
Look at you!
Come in! Sit down!
Okay.
And I'm gonna wash your hair
myself
so I can learn your textures.
My textures?
Your textures.
[]
Let me know
if that's too cold or hot.
No. It's perfect.
Thank you.
[CHUCKLES]
Wow.
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
Okay.
[LAUGHS]
Is this your first time,
Melony?
Yeah, it is.
I've--
Oh.
Thank you.
I've never done anything
like this before.
Do you know what kind
of style you like?
Oh. I do.
I saw this woman,
and she had like...
like a hundred
or two hundred braids
all in her hair
just crisscrossing all the way.
Just swept up like a crown.
[LAUGHS]
An up-do.
Is this for a special occasion?
Just my life.
I'm-- I'm five months pregnant,
though.
Oh. I see!
[CHUCKLES]
Well, let's make
the next four months
of that journey beautiful, okay?
Okay.
All right, now.
Then let's get started!
Here we go.
No peeking until we're done.
Oh.
Okay.
Here you go.
Oh. Close your eyes and relax.
[]
Okay.
BERNETTA:
Melony.
[CHUCKLES]
Melony.
Take a look, honey.
We're done.
Excuse me, miss.
That's my--
Oh, my God.
[LAUGHS]
Oh, my God.
[]
Do you like it?
I love it.
Oh.
Can I...
Can I touch it?
Oh, you can do
anything you want with it.
It's indestructible.
Oh, oh.
[LAUGHS]
Your hair is as beautiful
as you are.
It's like what's always been
inside of you
has finally got set free.
That's exactly
how I feel, Kevin.
It's like...everything's
all coming together.
This...Aah!
This transformation that I feel!
It's-- It's a healing, Kev.
Like what if--
What if every Black woman
in Mississippi felt this way?
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
Like, when we start feeling good
and beautiful and powerful...
[LAUGHS]
...that's a revolution, Kev!
And, God, I just want to...
I want to free women up!
I want-- And-- And I'm gonna
start by braiding hair.
Okay. But...
you don't know how to braid.
Be real. When in your life
have you ever braided hair?
But that's not the point.
If I know what I want to do,
I can learn how to do it.
Melony...
Look.
Bernetta told me
about a huge hair show
coming to Atlanta
in a couple of months.
They do a class
on African hair braiding.
I...Look. It's not cheap,
but it's an investment.
How large an investment?
Twelve hundred dollars
plus hotel and travel.
Twelve hundred dollars?
I'm not asking you
for permission or for money.
I'm asking for your support.
[]
KEVIN:
Okay.
You have it.
If I cut my hair
Hope I grow it long
Back long, back time
Like way before
If I wear it straight
Would they like me more?
Like those girls
On front covers
Long hair
Make 'em stay little longer
Stay hair, stay straight
Though we feel ashamed
By the curls, waves
And natural things
Curls, waves
And natural things
Okay, one time
If I grow it long...
TALIAH:
The keys to successful
professional microbraiding
are patience, precision,
and efficiency.
Move too fast,
and you'll make mistakes
that can cost you hours to fix.
Move too slowly and you'll lose
customers, money, and time.
This is an advanced class,
and I'm assuming you all have
at least three years
of prior braiding experience.
Yes?
WOMEN:
Yes.
Today we're using Caucasian-
grade wigs as subjects.
Now, the straightness will
deliver its own set of problems.
Take your parting combs,
and let's use the mannequins
to begin with a basic feed-in.
[]
[HAIR RIPPING]
You'll never fix this.
Take that out and start over.
I'm the slowest,
dumbest person there.
I'm so behind.
And tomorrow is gonna be
even harder.
[SIGHS]
It's just impossible.
Cool.
Then let's jump in the car
and get out of here
before they charge
another day's parking fee.
Wait. What?
Well, you're saying
you just can't do it, right?
You didn't know it was gonna be
this hard, so let's go.
Come on.
I hate you.
[CHUCKLES]
You don't want to...
You sure?
I love you.
You love me now?
Yeah.
We're chillin'?
We're chillin'.
Okay.
Thank you.
The hair you work on
may be heat damaged,
broken off, fragile,
or chemically stripped.
The extension should support
the existing hair,
not just enhance it.
I want to see three different
styles today, people,
for three completely
different women.
Extensions are on the table.
You have two hours.
Go.
[]
Mm-hmm.
TALIAH:
Do you understand
the assignment?
Oh. Y-Yes.
I just-- I just have to
get to know them first.
Know them?
Mm-hmm.
Okay. Who are they?
This one...
[CLEARS THROAT]
...is...
Leona.
She's not fancy, but she--
She wants to feel pretty
and respected.
TALIAH:
Keep going.
Everyone else, gather around.
This one here, this is Lydia.
She's all about fashion
and glamour.
But she's also really smart.
And this last one here is Tiny.
She's young and wild,
but her hair controls her.
She wants to control it.
Excellent, Melony.
Oh.
Keep working.
The rest of you,
if you haven't had
a conversation with your client
and gotten a better insight
into who they are,
rip out what you've started
and start again.
This is about people first,
then hair,
not the other way around.
Let's go.
[STUDENTS SIGHING, MURMURING]
Good job.
Thanks.
For the baby.
Oh.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
Thank you.
You have some nerve
coming in here with no skills.
Nerves or...maybe courage.
I just had to learn.
I can't explain it.
Melony, you have a gift.
You braid from the heart.
And once your speed
and your technique
is where your heart is,
you're going to be unstoppable.
Are there any more classes
I can take?
Just so I can keep practicing.
You're from Mississippi, right?
Mm-hmm.
Well, Melony, the cosmetology
schools in Mississippi
don't even teach braiding.
After today,
you learn by doing.
[]
Braid everything.
Get strong.
The only limits are the ones
you set for yourself.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
I still can't believe
they haven't fixed that hole.
[CHUCKLES]
We're lucky
they fixed the pipes at all.
Hm.
How much you charge to-- to do
that on a real, live person?
I don't really know.
I haven't had a customer yet.
Girl, what are you waiting for?
I'll pay you 40 bucks if you can
do something with this.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Now, I washed it before,
so you ain't got to worry about
cooties or nothing.
Girl, don't be silly.
Rosemary, I'll braid
your hair for free.
You just pay for extensions.
Sure.
[LAUGHS]
What are extensions?
Oh.
ROSEMARY:
I want to see.
I want to see! [LAUGHS]
I can't take it!
[LAUGHS]
MELONY:
Okay. Okay.
You're done.
Take a look.
Ooh!
[WOMEN CHEERING]
A mirror! Who got a mirror?
Who got a mirror?
Hell yeah!
[WOMEN CHEERING]
[ROSEMARY LAUGHING]
I'm gonna tell everybody
I know about you.
Whoo! You better get ready.
You're about to blow up.
[LAUGHING]
Oh, my God!
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
[]
[WOMEN MURMURING]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Oh.
Ooh.
Oh. Ooh.
No. It's coming. Oh.
Kevin!
Kevin!
Kevin!
[SHUTTER CLICKING]
DEE:
Got it.
Perfect.
[LAUGHS]
Dee, has anyone got back
about--
Girl, relax.
I told them you'd push
all appointments back
a couple of weeks.
One lady got salty.
She said when she dropped
her baby,
she went back to work
the same day.
No.
I said:
"This ain't no dang plantation.
And you're not Kizzy."
[BOTH LAUGH]
Them nappy heads can wait.
Mm-hmm.
Melony...
this is your first baby.
You need to give yourself time
to get your strength back up.
BETTY:
My chicken soup
should help with that.
[]
Is that my new grandbaby?
Ma Betty, I want you
to meet Kevin Jr.
Oh!
K.J.
Ooh!
There you go.
Yes. [LAUGHS]
K.J.!
[BABY COOING]
Mm-hmm.
Oh! Look at you, baby.
K.J. Oh!
[LAUGHS]
[]
MELONY:
Eight hundred
and fifty dollars.
That's more in one day
than one week at the shelter.
Last weekend I made
$1,500, Kev.
But it's hurting you.
Your fingers are stiff.
Your arms ache.
Yeah, but it
comes with the job.
If I braid full time,
I could probably make enough
to cover my half and--
and even rent a little studio
to work out of.
I don't know.
I could go professional.
I could-- I could do this!
I wonder if I'd need
a license or something.
Thirty thousand dollars
for a license?
Miss Clara, that can't be right.
KEVIN: Hey, sis.
I'm braiding hair,
not flying an airplane.
Well, let me talk
to your supervisor.
Hello?
KEVIN:
What happened?
Same person keeps giving me all
kinds of ridiculous information.
No license costs that much.
Gonna have to
go down there myself.
KEVIN:
To Jackson? That's
400 miles round-trip, babe.
You sure you don't
want to wait
and go when I can
help you drive?
Let me take the baby.
Oh.
I'll look after K.J.
You take care of your business.
Thank you, girl.
Kev, 30 grand.
That can't be right. Can it?
Oh, no, dear, the license itself
is only ten thousand dollars.
But after you've paid
the ten thousand dollars,
then you must attend
cosmetology school
for two thousand hours
of training.
Now, that'll take about a year
and a half, and the cost
is approximately
twenty thousand dollars.
And then upon completion
of cosmetology school
and payment of all school fees,
then your license
becomes active.
Cosmetology school?
Mm-hmm.
But I'm braiding hair.
I'm an African hair braider.
And I'm an Irish Catholic,
dear,
but the rules are the rules.
Ma'am, Mississippi
cosmetology schools
don't even teach hair braiding.
I'd be wasting
my time and money.
It doesn't make sense.
It-- It is what it is, dear.
So please move on.
I will not move on!
I will not move on
until somebody in this office
explains to me
why I'm being forced
to pay thousands of dollars
for a course that has nothing
to do with my profession!
I asked her to leave.
She won't leave!
What the hell
is a braiding salon?
I don't really know.
She has been
quite vociferous,
and I'm afraid that
if we don't deal with her,
this could escalate
into an event!
What if she calls the press?
Well, all right,
what can we tell her
to make her go away, huh?
What about Wigology?
Wigology? What is that?
If you obtain a Wigologist
license for yourself,
then you can legally
open up your shop.
Now, you'll have to take
a Wigologist course, of course,
but for a much shorter time.
About four hundred hours.
And the cost will be
about a thousand dollars,
and then your license will be
an additional three hundred.
So thirteen hundred?
So, where do I take
this Wigology class?
Well, uh, that's on you, dear.
You know, she couldn't
even tell me
one single school
that teaches Wigology.
Before I left Jackson,
I called six different schools.
Not one of them teach it.
How can they offer me a license
knowing full well I'll never
be able to take the class
to qualify for it?
It's not even logical.
[SCOFFING]
This is Mississippi, child.
There's always something deeper
than logic going down.
What about that old place up
on Boulevard? You check there?
A cosmetology school?
That's what the sign says.
It's a small place,
looks kind of funky, but--
Are you sure?
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
I'll check it out tomorrow.
MAN:
Doesn't matter.
Get this thing off my lot.
The truck. You can't park here.
I don't have to listen to you.
Let me tell you something.
Let me tell your boss!
No, get it out of here.
No, I'm not.
Hey.
[MEN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
Hey, hey! Hey!
Come on! Break it up. Go over--
Yeah, walk away.
Come on, come on,
come on, come on.
Walk!
Come on. Don't worry about it.
Don't worry.
What's up-- What's up with you?
I'll get it together. I just--
Just having a rough time.
Need to talk about it?
What, with you?
Yeah.
Gus, I'm not
just your boss.
I'm a Black man living
in the world just like you.
Look, man, I'm--
I'm having problems at home.
I-I can't-- I can't think
straight, you know? It--
She wants a divorce,
but I love her.
Mm-hmm.
My minister says to--
to work it out,
but what does that even mean?
KEVIN:
Yeah.
Why don't we grab lunch,
and we can talk about it?
Come on.
You are coming at a good time.
The spring course is
just about to get started.
I'm just here
for the one course. Wigology.
Wigology? I--
I don't teach that class.
Wh-- Oh, dear. Have--
Have I upset you?
MELONY:
It's not you, it's--
I'm just one person
trying to start a business,
you know?
And I'm trying
to do it right.
What's the nature
of your business, dear?
I'm an African hair braider.
Oh.
Braids like these
bring a lot of freedom
to women that have forgotten
what their--
what their real beauty
looks like.
You run a school
dedicated to beauty, right?
Well, Black women, we--
We don't know our own beauty.
I can't teach you that class,
Mrs. Armstrong.
Wigology hasn't been taught
in Mississippi or beyond
for more than fifteen years.
What they told you was a lie.
MELONY:
Thank you
for telling me the truth.
I'm so sorry.
I'm not really
good company right now.
That's okay.
I hate good company.
So, I talked with
three men today,
two workmen
and one of their friends.
It looks like they're searching
for a new style of congregation,
one that tells them they can
do more than just wait on God.
They want to be proactive
in their lives.
So I told them about you.
Me?
Kev.
I just hit a roadblock
I can't get past.
I'm not exactly
your proactive poster child.
I told them you were stuck
but to stay tuned,
because if anyone knows how
to ride shotgun with destiny,
Mel, it's you.
I've never met a boulder
you couldn't smash to pebbles.
Mm.
I'm not in the mood
for Goethe.
"The moment one definitely
commits oneself,
all sorts of things
begin to happen
that would never otherwise
have occurred."
I've never heard that part.
"Whatever you can do, or dream,
you can begin.
Begin it now."
TRAVIS:
Thank you for coming in.
I've done a bit of research.
Now, as you know, the Wigology
course no longer exists.
But the Wigology exam
and Wigology license still do.
Whoever schemed
to get rid of this thing,
they did a terrible job.
But how can I take an exam
if the course doesn't exist?
We will use the exam itself
as your coursework.
You'll have to come
at the regular times,
six hours a day,
five days a week.
And the Board,
they look at anyone who's
thinking outside the box
as competition.
So you can't tell a soul
what we're doing.
But if you're determined
to get this license...
...then I'm going
to help you fight to get it.
[]
There you go.
MAN: Sorry.
KEVIN:
Yeah, this looks good.
KEVIN:
You ladies are now
in the presence
of a fully licensed Wigologist.
Wigologist?
Ooh!
Whoo!
KEVIN:
Passed with 100 percent.
What? I--
Wait.
KEVIN:
What do you think?
MELONY:
Is this--
Is this what--
It's your shop.
My shop?
Mm-hmm.
You got me a shop, baby?!
That's your shop.
Oh, my God!
How?
KEVIN: Saving up.
Oh, my God.
KEVIN:
Lots of overtime.
There's chairs. Oh, my God.
KEVIN:
I've been fixing it up
after work.
What?!
Wait, what is this?
What is this?
I built that chair
just for you. Sit down.
For me?
Yeah.
Okay.
Is it comfy?
Yes.
So you like it?
I love it.
You deserve it all.
Thank you.
And over here, maybe we could
put some sofas and chairs and--
And a coffee maker? Mmm.
Oh, and a sound system.
Just a little one.
Okay.
Oh, Kevin, come here.
Here, feel this.
What?
This is what a living dream
feels like.
I want this for you, too.
And your congregation.
Speaking of congregation,
I think you have some converts
here yourself.
Huh?
Ladies!
Pretty nice!
Oh, my gosh!
Hi!
Oh, my goodness.
Hey!
Girl, you have
such a good husband.
Oh, my gosh. How--
Wait, how? How did you do that?
Uh, Dee helped me.
We, um...
Dee?
...figured you'd need
some support to get started.
And we're both
on unemployment right now,
so we were thinking
that by the time it runs out--
Yes, girl! Oh, my gosh!
Oh, my gosh.
I'm so happy.
I feel like I'm dreaming.
It ain't easy tryna give
[TELEPHONE RINGS]
Hello?
Naturally Speaking Hair Salon.
This is Leona speaking.
Can't let it slide
No, not this time
We come too far
To let the dream...
All right. You're done!
[CHUCKLES]
Ooh!
Nothing left for you to do
But don't believe it
You got to, got to
See it through, baby
All right, if your name
is on the list,
you have an appointment.
Just relax.
Wakey wakey.
All right. You are done.
[TELEPHONE RINGS]
Naturally Speaking Salon.
This is Leona.
MELONY:
Is this your first time
getting braids?
It sure is.
Me and my husband,
we're going to the Bahamas.
And this time
I'm getting my hair wet.
Ooh!
MELONY: Okay!
Get your hands off my pad.
Get your fingers off my pad.
Across the nation
That's going through
Some...
Ma'am? Ma'am.
You gotta groove
You all go have a seat.
I got you. I got--
I said, don't touch my pad!
One, two, three, oh. Oh.
I just can't anymore. Ugh!
Welcome to Naturally Speaking.
I'm Melony.
Now, tell me about who you are.
[BELL JINGLES]
Whew, boy.
Don't you forget to send us
some pictures, now.
Okay, bye.
Whew. I cannot believe
how busy we were today.
Girl.
Lord. My hands hurt!
Mm-hmm.
They hurting?
Yes.
Mm, this will
make them feel better.
[GASPS]
Yes, it will.
[LAUGHS]
Soak your fingers
in some salt water,
then meet me two hours
before opening tomorrow.
Mm.
Bring friends if you want to.
But tomorrow, class begins.
What am I supposed
to ask it again?
You ask her what she wants.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Oh.
She said she want
the rest of her body.
[LAUGHTER]
REPORTER [ON TV]:
We're here...
...with Melony Armstrong...
Okay. Here we go.
of Naturally Speaking Salon.
Braids are what I call
"Freedom Hair."
These braids, twists,
and micro braids
free women up
so they can pay more attention
to their lives
and not worry about how
their hair might restrict them.
WOMAN: Tell 'em, Melony.
And what inspired you
to do this African style
hair braiding?
Were you born in Africa?
[LAUGHTER]
ROSEMARY:
Is she serious--
[CHUCKLES]
No. No, I--
I was born right here
in America.
African style braids
are much more about
who you are
than where you're from.
WOMEN: Mm-hmm.
MELONY: Black women
in America need to remember
their own beauty.
My shop exists to celebrate
that beauty that all of us have
but that many of us
keep hidden.
Ah! That's it!
Yes.
That's it. Ooh, she did good.
DEE:
She sure did.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
MELONY:
Yeah, I don't think
it's the same.
LYDIA:
It's that cheap hair.
Girl.
It's cheap.
Welcome to Natur--
[CONVERSATIONS STOP]
G'Mom.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
G'MOM:
Hello!
Hey, pretty baby,
what you doing?
MELONY:
I didn't know
you were coming by.
I got to have an invitation
to see my great grand?
Or to see you and this little
shop of yours for that matter?
MELONY:
Come sit down.
Oh, no, I'm just fine,
thank you.
I'm very particular
about my hair.
Mm-hmm.
G'Mom,
you've worn this wig
for a very long time.
And underneath it...
...there's hair that could stand
some tenderness.
Come sit down. Let me spoil you.
Yeah?
Okay.
All right.
G'MOM:
All right then.
[CLEARS THROAT]
I'm just going to--
I'm just gonna massage you.
Okay?
[SNIFFLES]
I used to have long hair.
It was long and--
and white.
Wow.
All the way down to my waist.
[MELONY CHUCKLES]
Oh, I was something to see.
It was before I got sick.
I just--
I just can't
wear my hair like this.
It's okay.
But I don't want braids,
either, child.
MELONY:
Well, braids aren't
for everyone, G'Mom.
But freedom is.
And if wearing your piece
makes you feel free,
then that's exactly
what we're gonna do.
Let me work on your piece,
G'Mom.
I could restyle it
for a softer look or anything.
That's right. That's right.
Ain't no reason for you
to keep going around
looking like Bea Arthur.
[LAUGHS]
LYDIA:
Girl.
[LAUGHING]
[LAUGHTER]
[WOMAN SOBBING]
And my cousin Tanika
said she could do it.
But she got us looking like
we got mops on our heads!
MELONY: It's okay.
And my rehearsal supper's
in two hours and I don't know
what I'm supposed to do with--
Okay. Leona, Rosemary,
start unbraiding bridesmaids.
Lydia, come up here
and help me with the bride.
I don't know if you can fix it.
Okay. It's okay.
You're gonna look beautiful.
This is, like, so ridiculous!
It's closed for the day!
INSPECTOR:
I don't think it matters, ma'am.
I need to see your license.
Um, just a second, okay?
I'll be right back.
[WOMEN WHISPER INDISTINCTLY]
What is this about?
Wigology, huh?
Mm-hmm.
[CHUCKLES]
Is that what this place is?
I need to see
their licenses, too.
But these ladies
are my students.
I supervise their every move.
They're my trainees.
Ma'am, this license doesn't give
you the right to train anybody.
Now, I'm gonna give you
a citation and a fine today.
But if I catch you
at this again...
...I'll close you down
and may arrest you.
On what charge?
Making a living?
[]
[DOOR OPENS, BELL JINGLES]
[DOOR CLOSES]
MELONY:
The way these
Mississippi laws are written,
it's only folks with money
who can get a license.
It costs less time
and less money
to get certified
as a fireman or a nurse
or a sheriff than it does
to be a hairdresser.
Wow.
DEE: I know.
My shop has been flying
under the radar for years.
But it's on private property,
and I don't advertise,
so I probably don't exist
to them.
Mm, that's true.
If women like me had to depend
on the State of Mississippi
to certify us
to do what it is we do...
Come on.
...we'd all still be
sweeping floors or working
in Miss Ann's kitchen.
That's what they want.
WOMAN: Yeah.
I don't want
to stop learning, though.
I could really be good at this.
Yeah. I mean, I could teach you
right here at my house,
but you can't braid at the shop.
But your business
is gonna go right to squat
if you don't have some help.
Yeah.
LYDIA:
And the State
of Mississippi strikes again.
Hmm.
MELONY:
What if we strike it back?
Yeah.
[TELEPHONE RINGING,
INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Institute for Justice.
Dana Berliner here,
could you please hold a sec--
Wait, what? Slow down.
Miss, who are you?
Uh-huh.
What about the Mississippi
State Board of Cosmetology?
Put that on speaker!
MELONY:
I am a licensed,
professional African
hair braider,
and the State of Mississippi
is actively interfering
with my right to make a living.
Are you familiar
with the Mississippi State
Board of Cosmetology?
Oh, we are
very familiar with them.
Could you tell us everything
from the beginning, please?
You are not
the first people
to ever fight back against
unfair licensing laws.
In our very first case,
Pamela Ferrell
and Taalib Din Uqdah,
two highly successful
salon owners,
were fined and threatened
with closure for
running a natural hair braiding
program without a license.
Through us, they sued the
government of Washington, D.C.,
for violating their
constitutional rights.
And D.C. wanted
to avoid bad press.
They just changed the law.
So there's precedent.
We can win.
Well, you have to remember
that D.C. is not a state,
so the rules are not the same.
That's a city with a population
of about 700,000
and a largely Black
and sympathetic city council.
Mississippi has a population
of over 3 million,
and a legislative body
full of mostly
good ol' boys
who couldn't care less.
Which is exactly why, Melony--
Ah, thank you--
That's why if you're going
to do this, you have to be sure.
And you have to be brave.
I'm sure.
I mean, what choice do I have?
Well, you could probably
strike a deal
with the State,
keep quiet in exchange
for the Board leaving
you and your trainees alone.
This case is about
more than just Melony Armstrong.
It's about Black women
everywhere
being refused the right
to earn an honest living.
How could you even say that?
Melony, Melony, that was a test.
If you had said yes to that,
I wouldn't have taken your case.
And now
I'm very excited to.
Oh.
Okay.
Good. I was testing you.
Good. Have we both passed?
'Cause that's the kind of
passion we're gonna need to win.
Okay.
This fight is not about hair,
you know.
It's about money.
There are over 100,000
licensed cosmetologists
in the State of Mississippi.
Wow.
Every single one of them
paid $30,000
to obtain their license
and attend cosmetology school.
So when you do the math on that,
and you think about
all the new licenses
being issued every year,
both the state and the schools
have a nice big,
guaranteed source of revenue.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
And they do not want you
to come in and mess that up.
Mm.
Ladies, your opponents
have very deep pockets.
You know, they're gonna
come at you
in some pretty creative ways.
Lobbyists are gonna attack
your reputation,
your background,
and your credibility.
If I win this case, Black women
will have as much a chance
of running their own business
as any white kid with a degree.
Hmm.
You ever think about
what'll happen if you lose?
I'm not gonna lose.
Good.
Then I'll file suit next week.
No turning back now.
Armstrong versus
the State of Mississippi.
MELONY:
I like the sound of that.
DANA:
It's got a nice ring
to it, doesn't it?
MELONY:
How do I pay for this?
DANA:
You don't.
I.J. is funded by donations.
So, are we going
into the courtroom?
No, we're going into
the hearing room first.
Luckily, the state legislature
is worried enough
about this going to court that
they want to hear us out first.
Oh.
That's good for us.
Oh. That is
Representative Steve Holland.
He's committee chair.
He is smart and fair.
You're gonna want
to get his ear.
So, in the case of Armstrong
versus the State of Mississippi,
it is important to understand
that my client
is filing for injunctive
and declaratory relief.
She is not seeking money.
She is seeking to challenge
the constitutionality of the law
and moves that that law
be changed or struck down.
Thank you, Ms. Berliner.
But that's a longstanding law.
You've certainly got a lot
of nerve, Mrs. Armstrong.
Good.
We got their attention.
[INSECTS CHIRPING]
[DOOR CLOSES]
Hey.
I've been offered a pastorship.
I told them I'd decline
until this lawsuit is over.
Oh, don't do that, Kev.
Take it.
Look, if I'm gonna
go through this,
I need to know
you're where you ought to be.
Besides, I might need you to
whisper to God for me a little.
[CHUCKLES]
Are you scared, Mel?
Mm.
No.
But I think I should be.
REPORTER [ON TV]:
They're calling it Hair Wars.
Local hair braider
Melony Armstrong
takes on the State
of Mississippi
over the right to braid
Black natural hair.
MELONY:
Nearly 100 percent
of hair braiders
in Mississippi are Black women.
So essentially,
the Cosmetology Board
are seeking yet another way
to keep Black women out
of the financial mainstream.
REPORTER [ON TV]:
However, many lawmakers
don't see it that way.
Maybe braids and cosmetology
are not the same thing,
but they're close enough.
They both involve hair.
REPORTER [ON TV]:
Mrs. Armstrong faces
an uphill battle
to convince the state lawmakers
that this longstanding law
should be changed.
[CLICKS, TELEVISION SHUTS OFF]
Babe, what are you doing up?
What's wrong?
We're not strong enough.
KEVIN:
What do you mean
not strong enough? Why?
We're fighting by their rules,
trying to change their laws.
We should be
bringing the fight to them.
DANA:
The cosmetology board's
caving to the negative press.
They're willing to reduce the
mandatory hours of instruction
from 2,000 down to 600,
which will lower the cost
of cosmetology tuition
from 10,000 to around 5.
Now, they want to make a deal.
No deal.
I want us to bring our own bill
to the state lawmakers.
Something that will free
braiders completely.
No license should cost
more than $25,
and every braider should
have to pass a basic hygiene
and safety test, as well
as a demonstration of skills.
And if you can braid,
you can teach braiding.
No more Wigology.
No more Cosmetology, at all.
The art of braiding
should be set free.
Yes. Yes!
Yeah?
Yes.
It's good, right?
All right.
It's great.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
My friend, you married
a very fierce woman,
and I like her so much.
I like her, too.
DANA:
Okay, let's talk
strategy, Melony.
You are gonna have to meet with
a lot of powerful politicians,
shake a lot of hands...
You're making a big deal
out of nothing.
DANA:
...and change a lot
of minds before the hearing.
MELONY:
Traffic cops and
Congressmen both involve law.
Do they have the same training,
the same licenses?
No! You can't--
Where you going?
Come out with me.
Out?
Have you looked at me?
And there's tomorrow. No.
All the more reason.
Just throw on a dress,
keep your hair wrapped
if you like.
Mnh-mnh.
But please.
What you doing?
Mm.
Kevin. [LAUGHS]
Mwah. Mwah.
All right!
All right. All right.
I'm coming!
I'm coming. I'm coming.
Lord, I'm coming.
You're crazy.
KEVIN: Cover your eyes.
MELONY: I'm covering them.
KEVIN: Don't peek.
Kevin, I'm not peeking.
All right,
there's two steps, ready?
Okay. Ooh.
One.
One.
One more. Two.
Two. Okay.
Perfect. All right.
Can I open them now?
Just wait.
My wife, Melony Armstrong!
[CROWD CHEERING]
[LAUGHTER]
Oh, my God. Oh, my God!
Look at you!
What is going on?
Why is everybody here?!
[LAUGHS]
Oh, my gosh. Mom.
KEVIN:
All right, now everyone
take your seats!
[CHUCKLES]
[MURMURS INDISTINCTLY]
[CHUCKLES]
WOMAN: Gonna be great.
My wife usually
gets the last word,
but tonight
is my night to speak.
[LAUGHTER]
A few years ago,
my wife came to me and told me
she wanted to braid hair.
And I told her
I thought she was crazy.
[LAUGHTER]
And she was.
At that time, she knew
nothing about braiding hair.
But the thing about my wife,
she never once let
the impossible stop her.
[CROWD MURMURING]
The improbable to her
just indicates
a lack of imagination.
I once told her
she never met a boulder
she couldn't smash to pebbles.
[LAUGHTER]
And I was right.
But tomorrow, my wife is meeting
more than a boulder.
Tomorrow my wife is coming up
against the powerful
State of Mississippi.
And I asked you all here
to share in a prayer of courage
and strength for her, my wife.
Because we need her to be
whole, to remain unafraid,
and carry her undaunted cause
straight to the lap of victory.
So I ask you all,
in the name of the Most High,
to bow your heads,
close your eyes, grasp hands,
go to your innermost
silent place, and pray.
[DOWN-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING]
[CROWDS CLAMORING INDISTINCTLY]
MELONY:
Will I have to
say anything today?
You don't have to,
and I'll respect your decision
if you don't.
But...
But without your voice,
there's just my own.
You are this truth,
Melony.
I'm just your echo.
Okay.
Okay. I got it.
Come on.
You'll be great.
[CROWD SHOUTING]
These are local
cosmetology students.
They were ordered to be here
or risk failing their course.
That seems unfair.
Yeah.
Welcome to politics.
Fortunately, your supporters
are a lot louder
and a lot more fierce.
Freedom hair! Freedom hair!
Freedom hair!
Freedom hair! Freedom hair!
Freedom hair!
Freedom hair! Freedom hair!
You've got this.
Freedom hair! Freedom hair!
Freedom hair!
Freedom hair! Freedom hair!
Freedom hair!
Freedom hair! Freedom hair!
HOLLAND: Good morning.
Today we will hear testimony
regarding proposed bills
that would change the laws
that apply to African
hair braiding in Mississippi.
Ms. Berliner,
we will first hear from you.
Thank you.
The current law denies hair
braiders like Melony Armstrong
their constitutional
right guaranteed
by the Fourteenth Amendment--
The right to earn a living
in their chosen field.
The current laws in place with
the State Board of Cosmetology
make it virtually impossible
for hair braiders to be trained,
to train others, and to obtain
a license truly relevant
to the work that they do.
The entire system of cosmetology
dates back to the early
1900s.
It doesn't make sense anymore,
but a lot of people
make a lot of money from it,
and those people make sure
that the rules don't change.
They don't care
about the lives destroyed
when thousands of women
cannot work.
And you might ask yourself
how this could be so.
But to answer, you only need
to look at Melony,
and then look around you.
There is not one person
who understands Black hair
or African micro braiding
at a single cosmetology school
in the entire state
of Mississippi.
Not one.
Yet it is into this unbending
wall of ignorance
that Melony Armstrong
and any person who wishes
to practice African braiding
in the traditional styles
is meant to throw themselves.
In return for what?
Nothing.
These archaic laws
have to change.
And the bill that we
are putting before you today
for your consideration...
...can fix what's broken
immediately.
[CROWD MURMURS IN AGREEMENT]
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you.
[BILLINGS CHUCKLES]
Mm, mm, mm.
That was, uh,
poetic and emotional,
but it's mere smoke and
mirrors of the real point
of why we're here.
You don't keep a clean aesthetic
by letting folks run wild.
If somebody touches
your hair or your skin,
they need to be regulated.
If anybody touches my hair
or my wife's hair,
I would want to know
that they are clean,
licensed, and accountable.
We wouldn't want
some bum off the street
washing our hair,
now, would we?
DANA:
Mr. Chairman?
Please stick to the point.
BILLINGS:
I think I've made my point.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Now, Ms. Berliner,
do you have
anything further to add?
DANA:
No. Thank you, Senator Holland.
I want to talk.
My client would like to speak.
[CLEARS THROAT]
[SIGHS]
My name is Melony Armstrong.
I'm not a lawyer
or a politician.
I became a braider
as a way to touch and heal
Black women's souls.
I wanted to restore to us
a clear and unfiltered vision
of our own grace and beauty.
I was tired of us only seeing
ourselves through a hot combed,
fried, and chemically
treated lens.
We deserve a chance
to just be who we are.
[CROWD MURMURS IN AGREEMENT]
Braiding can give Black women
a leg up in their self-esteem
and a footing in the workplace,
and it's exactly
that financial opportunity
that the Cosmetology Board
wants to suppress.
They don't want
to teach hair braiding.
They don't want anything
to do with us.
They just want to take
our time and money
and give us nothing in return.
MAN:
Right.
The bill that
I'm urging you to pass
will put an end to that.
When I first started
this journey,
I didn't know how to braid.
Now?
[SPECTATORS CHEERING
AND APPLAUDING]
I am the voice of any Black
woman in Mississippi
or in the world that wants
to create this for a living.
MAN: Yes.
WOMAN: Yes.
To the State of Mississippi
in general,
and to the Mississippi Board
of Cosmetology
specifically, I say,
let my people braid.
MAN:
Yes.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Thank you.
BILLINGS:
This woman is not
who she says she is.
She's not even from Mississippi.
Melony Armstrong
is a college dropout.
She has been cited for
employing unregistered workers.
She's not even qualified
to touch a dog's hair.
Mr. Chairman, that--
Mr. Billings, your vitriol
is disappointing
and an embarrassment
to this state.
The Board should be ashamed
of itself
for allowing these tactics,
which are unseemly
in any legislative hearing.
Now if you are done, sir,
please be seated.
[CROWD MURMURING IN AGREEMENT]
Now, hair braiding should
have never been an issue
to come before
this legislative body.
It is clearly
a cultural art form.
And if it can be a means
of financial support, too,
well, so much the better.
Mr. Chairman, please--
Mr. Billings.
You can inform the Mississippi
State Board of Cosmetology
that I'm not
recommending their bill
for further regulation
moves forward.
However, I strongly advise
that Ms. Armstrong's bill
to remove hair braiding
from any jurisdiction the
Cosmetology Board holds now
or may ever hold in the future,
be approved by
the State House and Senate
and signed into law
by the governor.
Yes. Yes!
All right!
Thank you.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
DANA:
You did it.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE CONTINUE]
The sun is comin' up again
These winds of change
Are blowin' in
And I know
Yes, I know
Wow.
It feels like freedom
All right, all right.
"My hair defies gravity."
[CROWD MURMURING IN AGREEMENT]
"She is rebellious
and will never lay down
unless she wants to."
[CROWD MURMURING IN AGREEMENT]
"She is soft as a sponge..."
WOMAN: Yes.
"...and brutal as a Brillo pad."
[LAUGHTER]
"She can go from lyin' down
to Lion King
with just three drops of rain!
[VOICE BREAKING]
My hair takes no prisoners."
[CROWD CONTINUES
MURMURING AGREEMENT]
"My hair hides
infinite secrets."
[CROWD MURMURING IN AGREEMENT]
"Sometimes I feel
she is magical.
And sometimes I feel
she is possessed."
[LAUGHTER]
"She looks like
she can be controlled.
But she can't."
WOMAN 1: No.
WOMAN 2: No, no, no.
"Gel, hairspray, goo,
and prayers are useless."
[LAUGHTER]
"She is silent except
when a flat iron
makes her hiss.
My hair has attitude."
MAN: Yeah!
Yes.
"She is born to be wild!"
[CROWD CHEERING]
Freedom Hair at last!
Yes!
CROWD [CHANTING]:
Freedom Hair!
Freedom Hair! Freedom Hair!
Freedom Hair! Freedom Hair!
And my sisters
Freedom Hair!
And my brothers
Freedom Hair! Freedom Hair!
Freedom Hair! Freedom Hair!
I see 'em comin' together
And, oh
Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, yeah
Said it feels like freedom
Are you ready now?
Yes, I'm ready now
For a change to come
Feet, don't fail me now
'Cause I'm ready now
To move on
Are you ready now?
Yes, I'm ready now
For a change to come
Feet, don't fail me now
'Cause I'm ready now
To move on
Freedom
Freedom
Whoo-hoo
Freedom
Whoo-hoo-ooh
Freedom
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Freedom
Freedom
I might not be here
Freedom
You know I'm free
[FOLK COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING]
Put my feet
Under cold water
Whenever I get home
And I tell myself
That I did it all better
Than I might have done
I came up
Like a paper daughter
Fallen with
The afterthought
And the tender mercy that I
Was after came hard won
Hard won
Oh, how I've tried
Keeping you in my mind
And I've done my time
Lying awake at night
But, oh
Those lonely times are done
And, oh
It was hard won
Hard won
Found myself
In a strange new land
Without a hand to hold
And I was mad at God
For leaving me standing
In bitter sun
But I kept hanging on
To the very end of my rope
When sitting down all right
With myself came hard won
Hard won
Oh, how I've tried
Keeping you in my mind
And I've done my time
Lying awake at night
But, oh
Those lonely times are done
And, oh
It was hard won
Hard won
I was up
On the Third Street Bridge
The night you got my letter
I was singing out in Virginia
When you found someone
I had to lay your memory down
On the altar of my anger
And the peace of mind that I
Finally found came hard won
Hard won
Oh, how I've tried
Keeping you in my mind
And I've done my time
Lying awake at night
But, oh
Those lonely times are done
And I know, oh
Yeah, I know
I know, I know
Yeah, I know, oh
It was hard won
Hard won
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Freedom Hair (2024)
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