"Loc Journey Series" w/Dawn Demps

This episode is a "must listen".  My fellow Flint, MI native Dawn Demps talk about reasons why she decided to join the #LOCGang.  Not only does Dawn share her story with us, but she also speaks on our history, the black women, and our culture.

Her passion for the black community is always at the forefront and her passion for "the people" is exhibited in this episode.

Dawn is relatively new to the loc journey but is no stranger to the process.  She believed that our hair will do what it's supposed to do if we just leave it alone.  Her loc process consisted of two-strand twist, monthly visits to her loctician, and only natural products such as water, oil, and essential oils.

Dawn decided to leave her bang area out, so she still has the flexibility to be creative by having both locd and loose hair.   

More about Dawn Demps

Dawn has been involved with community advocacy and organizing since 12 years old. She utilizes her own lived experiences to connect with students and parents to promote tools for self-advocacy, structural reforms and strives to champion the concerns of these populations.   

She holds an MA in Social Justice Studies from Marygrove College in Detroit, MI, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Arizona State University in Education Policy and Evaluation.

She has published articles examining the possibilities of youth-inspired school leadership as exhibited through youth voice and participatory action research,  unpacking the difficulties and potential of Black and Brown collaborative educational leadership and how art can be used to expose the experiences of Black youth who have experienced school exclusion. She is currently conducting a critical ethnographic oral history study of a grassroots community advocacy group comprised of Black natural and other mothers who are galvanizing to challenge and dismantle the educational policies and practices that exclude Black children from educational spaces

Dawn has been awarded the 2020/21 American Association of University Women Dissertation Fellowship and Arizona State University Dissertation Completion Fellowship. A sample of her other recognitions includes the 2019 University Council for Education Administration (UCEA) Putting Research Into Action Award, 2019 Hilliard Sizemore Research Fellow, UCEA Barbara Jackson Scholar, and Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Honorable Mention.  She additionally serves as a member of the Arizona Department of Education’s African  American Advisory Council and is the proud mother of 3 children: Journi, Jayanti, and Zora- ages 17, 15, and 8 respectively. 

Connect with Dawn on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/dawndemps/

 

Don't forget to check out my Resources:

"5 Principles to Understanding & Performing Natural Hair Care Services"

"What Beauty School DID NOT Teach You"

 "Texture on Texture" Styling Course