If you’ve been on the internet this week, you’ve likely seen the furore surrounding a video of a man grabbing a Black woman by the throat at a hair shop in south London. 

The video shows a Black woman hitting a 45-year-old man with a shopping basket after he appears to try to choke her. The incident exploded after the woman was turned down for a refund and attempted to take replacement items from the shop. Police are looking into the incident. 

Edilenny Douteo, 18, filmed the video and told My London News website: “I went to the shop to buy some products with my friend. And I saw the lady, they were shouting at each other from the beginning. She was asking for a refund and they told her that is not possible. So she went to the shop and she told them that, if you’re not gonna get my refund, I want to get what I’m supposed to get for my money.”

After the video began to gain traction online, the Black community went onto the streets to protest. It was an extremely triggering video to watch, especially for Black women. 

We have a very interesting relationship with hair shops. The Office for National Statistics found that Black women spend a significant amount of money on hair and beauty products. In the UK, we account for 10% of the total haircare spend each year even though we only make up 2% of the country’s adult population.  

So, it’s no surprise that Black women spend a considerable amount of time in these shops, and despite the fact that these spaces are meant to cater to us, we don’t feel safe in them.

Daniella Richardsons, a 26-year-old architect from London, often feels like she’s being watched or monitored in her local hair shop. “Unfortunately as I’m Black I’m used to being followed around in other shops, but being followed in a hair shop is a common experience,” she tells Stylist. “Even if you’re in your local shop where they’re familiar with your face.”

“It’s even more frustrating because, unlike other beauty or health shops, you can’t really ask for product suggestions as the people who work in the shops don’t know much about Black hair or the products they sell,” she adds.

This is why 27-year-old product manager Esther Fisayo from Birmingham avoids shopping at hair shops. “The feeling of being treated like a criminal just doesn’t scream customer service to me,” Fisayo explains. “But, if I need to buy a few packets of hair, I make sure I’m in and out as quickly as possible.”

Jaqi Loye-Brown is a novelist and poet in her mid-50s, and she’s been spending money on hair products for over 40 years. “I remember when the Americans dropped the Curly Perm products in the 1980s, from then on I’ve witnessed the fast growth of the Black hair industry,” Loye-Brown says. “None of these stores – from Birmingham to London or beyond – has assisted me with product advice since 1982. It’s insulting when I spend so much money gambling on the look of a product label.”

Though we don’t feel safe in these spaces, I don’t think any of us were prepared to watch such a triggering video.

“It’s hard to put into words how I felt while watching that video,” Richardsons says. “I felt a mix of anger, disgust, shock and hopelessness. The thing that made me feel most sick is that he really believed he could do that and just continue with his business.”

Fisayo agrees with Richardsons: “It was disturbing to see a man twice that woman’s size strangle her over a customer dispute.”

After watching that video Loye-Brown will be boycotting non-Black-owned hair shops for good. “I will never buy from any of these establishments again and I hope more Black-owned businesses will be allowed to flourish so I can buy products from someone who can advise accordingly.”

Images: Getty