Hair Braiding Freedom in Missouri
The Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners had sued Salimato Kouyate, an African-style hair braider, trying to put her out of business because she earned money by braiding hair and had not first completed the 1,500 hours’ worth of training that state law requires to act as a licensed cosmetologist. That training would take many months to complete, would cost more than $10,000, and perhaps most importantly it would not teach Ms. Kouyate anything about braiding that she did not already know.
