Brenda Braxton is back in business.
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NEW YORK - An African American actress and entrepreneur
who traces her roots to the Caribbean is on a renewed mission to uplift
men of color in Harlem and the surrounding communities.
Brenda
Braxton, a Tony-nominated Broadway singer and actress, returned this
year to the store she operated from 2006 to 2010 to provide "exceptional
grooming for exceptional men."
And, her return to 1400 Fifth Avenue (at 116th Street) was needed because of the multiple pressures men of color had to face.
"Our gentleman in the
African American and Latino community have been beaten down on so many
levels - whether it is getting stopped just because you have a good car
or you happen to be dating a Caucasian woman," the businesswoman
observed.
The actress who made bread on Broadway wants to help
the traditional breadwinner and sees her mission as "to be an African
American woman that builds you up and makes you feel good - you walk
through that door you are king!"
Last year Braxton was forced
to close the establishment, which she opened with her then husband in
2006, due to financial challenges.
"But, I have returned reorganized, regrouped and with a new investor on board," she declared.
You get much more than elegant grooming at BBraxton; the stylish shop
has become known as a networking location where businessmen, artists and
musicians network, drink coffee, sip cocktails, and moreover, get a
good hair cut.
Braxton, whose grandfather hails from the
Caribbean island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, considers her
mission a no-brainer.
"It's nothing new ... back in the 30s and 40s, our gentlemen were
dapper. I don't know where they lost it down the line, but my
grandfather, my uncle, my father they always looked good, they always
had their hair cut and had the right slacks or shirt on ... so I am just
bringing it back to where it used to be."
Looking back at her
struggles as a teenager and later in her marriage and business, Braxton
is grateful to God to have the opportunity to be of service to her
brothers through grooming services which range from hair cuts to
pedicures to maintaining dreadlocks.
"Whether it is through
laughter or complimentary treatments, our mission is to make people feel
good and feel better about themselves - from their head to their feet."
Braxton believes God is not through with her as yet: "Looking back at
some of the things that I have gone through, it's by the grace of God
that I am here," she said, as she spoke of plans to open a sister store
in Atlanta, and sharing her musical and theatrical talents with
international audiences.