All Bianca Dawkins wanted to do was feel beautiful; instead she said she was shamed and degraded by a stylist at Denny Kemp Salon and Spa in Northeast Minneapolis.
For Kemp’s part, he admitted serious mistakes were made and he said all he wants to do is make things right; not because of the negative attention, but for how a stylist at his salon made Dawkins feel.
According to Dawkins, trouble began when she was in Kemp’s salon waiting to be seen by stylist Justin Waltenberg; a stylist who had twice previously cut and styled her when she had chemically relaxed hair. Dawkins has since moved away from chemical relaxers and wears her hair in its natural texture. Dawkins’ choice to go natural seemed to present a problem for Waltenberg. Dawkins said while in the waiting room filled with mostly white customers Waltenberg came up to her and forcefully grabbed her hair and said, “That’s an animal that can’t be tamed.”
“I was very upset. There were other clients there who were white and it just attacked my identity,” said Dawkins. “It really hurt my feelings.”
Dawkins said the initial comments were hurtful, but what followed bordered on racist.
“I responded to Justin and asked him are you saying Black girls can’t come here, and he said, ‘Well this isn’t the 1950s or ‘60s where I can just put up a sign,’” claims Dawkins.
Following the comments Dawkins said Waltenberg invited others to look at her hair, making her feel further alienated.
“They were all just talking over my hair and then I said, ‘Wow, you guys are making me feel like I’m from a different planet,’” said Dawkins of her experience. “One said, ‘It takes a special person to do your hair.’ I just sat at the table with my head down for a bit and finally walked out.”
Within hours of leaving the salon Dawkins took to Facebook to vent her anguish and what ensued was a firestorm that put the stylist and the salon square in the middle. Kemp said the outrage is deserved and he wants to do whatever he can to satisfy Dawkins and a community of her supporters. He said his speaking out now was in an effort to correct several mistakes made in handling the situation.
“This is an awakening for my salon,” said Kemp. “More than anything what matters is not what was said, or how it was said, but how it made Bianca feel; that’s what’s most important. I sincerely want to do what is going to make us better. This is good for me to see how careful we have to be … with all people.”
Kemp said Waltenberg was completely out of line with his comments and he let his ego get in the way. Kemp also said he has called Dawkins to personally offer her an apology.
“Justin is a talented and amazing artist, but he has an ego and I think he just didn’t want to admit he wasn’t equipped to work with natural hair,” said Kemp, who said he is contemplating whether or not to fire Waltenberg. “I asked Bianca outright if she wanted Justin fired and she said she didn’t want him fired and this should be something he can learn from.”
Kemp, who owns salons in Northeast Minneapolis and Edina, said pressure to fire the stylist is coming from outside, and even some of his staff has requested Waltenberg be let go. In her interview with Insight News Dawkins did not say definitively when asked whether or not she wanted the stylist fired.
“Resolution for me is for Denny Kemp to apologize and step up to the plate over what went wrong and the feeling of humiliation I felt,” said Dawkins.
Since the controversy erupted Kemp said his salon has been targeted with a slew of negative comments and ratings on social media and in at least one instance, someone threatened violence. Kemp said he understands people’s anger.
“I think this generation wants more of the real level of acceptance; not just the talk, and that’s what has to happen,” said Kemp. “I agree fully with that.”
