Being a brown cosmetology instructor in a non-brown cosmetology school

So I come with this topic as my first blog topic, and as I type I this feel a sense of nostalgia.

Thinking about all the good and bad times I once had as a cosmetology student (I attended Empire beauty school center city, Phila). I know some of my readers who just read where I went to school probably made some loud outburst like "Ouuu girl you survived it there?" or you more than likely scrunched your lip up to your nose as if you smelled something rotten. Yes, I know Empire Center City doesn't have the best reputation, but needless to say I am very proud to have received my license from such a tough but diverse school.

That place was such a melting pot to all types of cultures, ethnicities, languages, sexualities, religions.... and the list can go on and on. Along with learning the basics of hair, some of the most important things I learned was how to work with all different types of hair textures. Although 90 % of our mannequins were of "caucasian decent," the actual clients that came to the school to get serviced were of all nationalities and the receptionist made sure we did them all! I loved that the most.

Years later I sit here now as a Cosmetology instructor, of a school that I will not mention the name of, where the majority of students are caucasian and that's totally fine with me. Here's where I find a problem. I'm beginning to notice how segregated some cosmetology institutions are. So this is what I mean in a nut shell, the caucasian clients go to the caucasian students to get serviced and the brown clients go to the brown students to get serviced. Now please note that this is not by choice that these clients or students gets picked. The front desk receptionist is suppose to UNBIASEDLY distribute the clients to the students. However, that's not what's happening.

Which brings me to my multiple points. One being, how am I as a cosmetology instructor suppose to teach the students that I currently have (brown and caucasian) about hair in the "real world" and/or hair in general i.e.; different textures and density, high and low porosity..etc. If in all actually when they get to the salon floor in couple of months, the only types of hair types they will service is hair like their own? Sure they will be book smart as too what different hair textures are like, but what is that worth when you can't apply that information into practice? And don't even get me started on the makeup kit that they receive where the darkest shade of brown foundation is "medium Taupe."

I digress... In conclusion I wish that more cosmetology institutions would broaden their horizons when it comes to the student kit and salon floor experience. There should be an equal amount of coily and coarse hair mannequins to straight hair mannequins. Also, I believe students should service clients that have different hair textures than their own, so that they become a more well-rounded and diverse cosmetologist. But hey what do I know? I'm just here to shed some light.

Thanks for reading!