Family Business

My grandparents manufactured and sold beauty supplies during and after the civil rights era for women of color, when pantyhose, durags, and stockings didn’t come in darker tones. They brought eyelashes, perms, and wave caps to Texas and introduced cosmetics “for us, by us.” My first job was putting price tags on jars of hair grease, adding up figures on invoices, and putting hooks into pairs of socks. I learned more on our living room floor than Harvard could ever teach. Here is a photo of my beautiful grandmother, Brenda King, on one of the last remaining original “our colors” pantyhose. I’m in love with my grandparents and their accomplishments and take their legacy and lessons into every boardroom and classroom I enter. It is the reason I support local and minority owned businesses as well as the reason I intend to invest in family run operations. Much love and long live RBK ✊🏾

Rahsaan King