NASHVILLE, TENN. (WTVF) — A Nashville woman is on a mission to help young girls accept their natural hair with the new brand Puffy Girls Club.
Shaylla Smith knows that hair is a major part of our appearance for many. It can also represent so much more than that like heritage and identity.
"Whether it's kinky, curly, straight, puffy, whatever," said Smith.
When she heard some girls didn't want to play with her friend's daughter, Drelyn Ribbin because of her hair, Shaylla stepped into action.
"I thought, oh my goodness I have something here. You know we need to empower our younger girls," Smith said.
So, she's using stickers, cups, clothes, and eventually a book to empower young girls with textured hair.
"I hope that when they see it in their homes, when they see it in their schools, when they see it in their community, that they say, you know what? I'm going to accept my hair."
Now, you can tell by how she gets ready for school, that Drelyn takes pride in her hair.
"I haven't always been as confident in my hair as I am now," said Ribbin.
And she wants others to do the same.
"So it's just like, okay, have a cute sticker. And, you know, it's a little confidence boost at the same time," Ribbin said.
Shaylla hopes to weave that into her daughter Victory's life and many more.
"What I want for these girls to understand and know is that things will happen in your life," said Shaylla.
"But let's keep moving. Let's move. Let's move to a better place of who you are and what you want to become."
Shaylla says her book is set to come out this spring.
Until then you can find her set up at different markets and events around the Nashville area, and follow her on Facebook, or Instagramat the Puffy Girls' Club.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at eric.pointer@newschannel5.com.
My friend and colleague Carrie Sharp had a lot of fun last week, on an adventure to a country more than three thousand miles away! She’s back now – sharing her Adventures in Iceland through stories, and incredible images of this remarkably beautiful and unique island nation (kudos to Chief Photographer Catherine Steward)! But did you know Nashville has something very important in common with Iceland? Tourism! Here, Carrie explains how a volcanic eruption decades ago helped save the country’s economy from collapse!
-Rhori Johnston
