"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE" : "THE FORMER BLACK-OWNED BEAUTY SHOPS in MONROE"

Once upon a time, in the Louisiana Territory, back when it was under Spanish rule.There was actually a Law that made "CREOLE WOMEN" & "FREE WOMEN of COLOR" tone down the beauty of their hair! The law was called the "TIGNON LAW," and it required just about all Colored looking women in Louisiana to wear a type of head covering known as "A TIGNON." Although the law was aimed mainly at Free Women of Color, it was enforced against Creole Women, Mulatto Women, and even the darker Colored female slaves as well. Interestingly enough, the law was meant not only to control the appearance of Colored Women, but also to identify the Colored Women as belonging to the "SLAVE CLASS" as well as to help stop the spread of "PLACAGE and MISCEGENATION." You see, many White women were jealous of how their husbands and other White Men got "ALL GOOFY-EYED" when they saw Colored Women, and how they wore their beautiful hair! By the way, the Tignon Law was enacted by Spanish Governor, Esteban Rodriguez Miro'. Yes, he was the same Governor who commissioned a French officer named Don Juan Filhiol to establish a fort in Ouachita Parish, back in 1791.The fort was built in the Ouachita River Valley, a part of Northeast Louisiana. Originally, the fort was named "Fort Miro," in honor of Governor Miro'. However, in 1820, the fort was renamed MONROE, after a "STEAMBOAT named JAMES MONROE," after the boat arrived in Ouachita Parish. Once the United States took ownership of Louisiana through the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the Tignon Laws were no longer enforced, but placage and miscegenation still existed, just as it still exists in Louisiana today. Well, enough about all that... let's reminisce about some of the Forgotten Black-Owned Beauty Shops and their owners that lived in Monroe, Louisiana. Without further a due, here's a short list of some of the former Black-Owned Beauty Establishments that are a part of "OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE!" : 1.La Henri-Anna Beauty Shop & School, which was owned by Mrs. Henri-Anna Carroll that was located at 1001 Washington Street in Monroe ; 2.Price's Beauty Shop, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was owned by Mrs. Annie Mae Ford Price that was located at 2101 Grammont Street in Monroe ; 3. Estelle's Beauty Shop, which was owned by Estelle Dunn that was located around the 2900 block of Jackson Street in Monroe ; 4. Lovely Brown Beauty Shop that was located at 903 Desiard Street in Monroe ; 5.Marjorie's Beauty Salon that was located at 1115 Breard Street in Monroe ; 6. Mercy's Beauty Shop that was located at 1103 Desiard Street in Monroe ; 7. Ruth's Beauty Shop that was located at 1317 Desiard Street ; 8. Katie's Beauty Shop that was located at 126 Powell's Alley ; and 9. Jenkin's Beauty Shop, which was owned by Rosa Jenkins that was located on Dick Taylor Street in Monroe, just to name a few.