BALTIMORE – The ultimate hair and beauty extravaganza took center stage in downtown Baltimore, bringing together experts from around Charm City.
However, there is one woman who is the driving force behind everything.
Malaika-Tam Cooper is what we would call a leading lady.
“Embrace your own natural beauty. What you see is what you get,” Cooper said.
She is the owner and operator of Dreadz-N-Headz, a place where the beauty of the community and nature is unleashed.
“Actually, I’ve been playing with hair since I was 9 years old,” Cooper said. “And I have trained at many locations both domestically and internationally.”
She has seen the latest trends, products, and technologies transform the industry from top professionals.
“Over the past year, probably 30 years, we’ve reintroduced a standard of natural beauty that’s centered around Africans,” Cooper said. “And it evolved into what we have today.”
Following her own journey from alopecia to alopecia, Cooper strives to help others embrace their natural beauty.
“I teach something called scalp mapping,” Cooper told WJZ. “It’s very traumatic to see my hair in thousands of magazines all over the world. Now I can relate. I accept my baldness, and I love it.”
Cooper’s passion for hair is why he helped found Center Court Hair Care and Beauty Expo with Derrick Chase.
“The vision is always to make Baltimore better,” Chase said.
Their goal is to create a space where the community can connect, shop, learn, and be inspired by fellow beauty enthusiasts.
“What she did with her natural hair was perfect because she’s also part of the evolution of what it means to be a Baltimorean, especially what it means to be part of a culture that is often misrepresented. ” Chase said. Vice President of Operations at Finn Group.
“To go in and see the dawn and the education and all that, to me, that’s what my spirit is, a world of goodness,” Cooper said.
“She gave black women the crown,” Chase said.
If you missed this hair show, don’t worry. You’ll definitely be attending the next hair show. The Baltimore Natural Hair Care Expo will be held from June 1st to June 2nd.