Dear SheaMoisture,
Your recently published video (posted at the bottom) and the interviews for #BREAKTHEWALLS heavily reminded me of this photo I took and uploaded July 30, 2013 on my personal Facebook page.
I was over a year into my natural hair and I was working for a merchandising company that would send me to grocery stores around Northeast Ohio. We were in one part of the aisle with the cleaners and paper goods. While on a brief break, I noticed the tiny area with hair care products for people with curly, coily, and kinky hair. Above was this sign. The original reaction when I posted this was, “Hm. I don’t know how feel about the phrase “Ethnic Needs” and the isle that it’s in. :|” The first photo was taken at a Giant Eagle grocery store more than 20 miles west of me.
Almost three years later, I know how I feel and how to describe it a bit better.
I feel like for the longest time we were, and in some places still are an afterthought. In most stores, our hair care needs are with the household cleansers, the facial cleansers, and the bath soaps. In my opinion, it translates “Servants’ Entrance”. I’m not saying that other people with straight hair don’t buy cleaning products to clean their own house OR even have children with curly, coily, and kinky hair. What I AM saying is that, this sign reminded me of how we, with textured hair are still excluded and put in the back with the broom, mop, and dust pan. If my memory serves me correctly, we were merchandising the paper towels and facial tissues and moving them down closer to the “Ethinic Needs” products. I am not sure if the “Ethnic Needs” were merchandised to another area after I had left that day, but it bothered me enough to share on Facebook and I haven’t forgotten this. Just to include, there were no SheaMoisture products on the shelves at the location of the first picture.
You, SheaMoisture, are changing the game and have been changing the game. The video I watched this morning made me so happy because I feel so included. I feel that all over inclusion and not that illusion of inclusion.
The type of inclusion that makes me happy that I can get used to seeing myself and women and men like me with textured hair shopping with people with straighter hair.
Feeling included makes me feel appreciated and wanted as a person and not just for the change in my wallet. I honestly don’t have much. So, yes I meant change.
Feeling included makes me feel appreciated and wanted as a person and not just for the change in my wallet. I honestly don’t have much. So, yes I meant change.
The second photo was taken February 1st, 2016 at the Giant Eagle a little over 2 miles down the street from me. And it’s with the the other hair care products! Yop! It’s sitting ABOVE the the L’Oreal and John Frieda products. It’s been over two years since I have merchandised, but whoever made the planogram for this shelf MUST be #TeamSheaMoisture…err… I mean a SheaMoisture merchandiser. I was right the first time 😀.
So, I mean this wholeheartedly. Thank you! Thank you so much! Thank you for helping me with my hair over the years. Thank you for helping me take care of my son’s long hair over the years and thank you for helping me feel valued!
Sincerely,
Ebony/ CoilySue86
P.S. You can find some of my favorite SheaMoisture products at the bottom of my page.
P.S. You can find some of my favorite SheaMoisture products at the bottom of my page.
Ebony Glass Co. 
8 responses to “My Letter to SheaMoisture: Dear SheaMoisture…#BREAKTHEWALLS”
Beautiful! CoilySue its great to be an innovator… I'm sure you fb pic were checked out and passed around in a few marketing meeting.
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That would be awesome! I'm willing to go store to store to show how well SheaMoisture looks merchandised with the other hair care products.
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I too hate the word Ethnic! Everone is ethnic! We all have an ethnicity no matter what color or race we are. Have always hated this separation even though it does make my desired products a lot easier to find lol, they are i fact no different that the Aussie or Herbal Essence brands and their different lines for different hair types. Curly and Coily products should be no different. Plus as a merchandiser, I can attest to the fact that the products in the “Ethnic” aisle receives far less attention or promotion than its counterparts. Just saying.
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Yes! They do receive less attention. And depending on the store they are picked over, opened, leaking, dusty, and out of stock. It can be depressing! But I have my favorite places to get my products and they mostly keep the shelves organized, clean, and well stocked.
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This is the first time I’ve seen this video and I loved it! Thanks for sharing! The little corner in the drug stores always made me cringe, but I’ve even excited to watch the selection grow from Dax to what they offer now, and the movement change from corner to aisle.
I remember where the only place I could go for hair products was the beauty supple store.
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Thank you so much for reading! Yes, the beauty supply store still is the best place to find all the products we love. However, major stores like Walgreens and Target have really came around and became more inclusive.
And thanks for sharing this on Twitter.
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Also just shared your post on Twitter!
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