Southeastern cosmetology teacher hailed as trailblazer for 'blow-out boot camp'

EASTON — Briana Brown, a cosmetology instructor at Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School, received a Trailblazer Award at the Attleboro Juneteenth celebration on June 18 for her "blow-out boot camp."

Brown, one of the first Black cosmetology teachers at Southeastern, began teaching four years ago and has made it a priority to educate her students on "Black hair culture."

"It's really important to understand why you have to learn all of the wave patterns and hair textures that come along in our industry," she said.

This year's festival, Attleboro's third annual Juneteenth festival commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, highlighted the CROWN Act — a law passed in Massachusetts in March that prohibits discrimination based on natural hair style, from braids to bantu knots. 

The African American Trailblazer Award, given to Brown by the Attleboro Juneteenth Committee, celebrates citizens who make major contributions to the southeastern Massachusetts community.

"I really do this simply because I love teaching," Brown said. "I could talk about hair all day long. And I do it because I love young people and I want to be that person to shape their minds."

Brown said that there aren't many cosmetology teachers of color in Massachusetts, and working with "curly and coily" hair isn't part of the State Board of Cosmetology exam. Brown created her "blow-out boot camp," where students practice the blow-drying technique on mannequins with straight, wavy, curly and kinky wave patterns.

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"It was my goal to make sure that my students understood every last wave pattern, even if it's not on their State Board test."

Brown has been in the hair-care industry for 10 years, earning her cosmetology license from Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in 2012. She began teaching at Southeastern four years ago, but left to teach at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School. She returned to Southeastern this school year.

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"Briana's passion for education, inclusivity and the importance of embracing all natural hair types is clear, and we are fortunate to have her as part of our cosmetology program," said the school's principal Leslie Weckesser in a written statement.

The Juneteenth celebration took place at the National Black Doll Museum in honor of the CROWN Act passing in the state earlier this year. The anti-discrimination bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on March 18, and now awaits approval in the Senate.

"I'm thankful for all of the recognition and that people support me in this way, but I got to say that I truly do it because I love what I do," she said.