What is your name?
Shaneka Shaw Taylor
Where do you live?
Toronto, Canada
What is your occupation?
Lawyer, Partner at Boghosian + Allen LLP
What is your educational background?
Honours Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Windsor; Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
How long have you been natural?
From birth until around 1995; and since 2004 to present.
Why did you decide to “go” natural?
I just really wanted a change and a fresh start. I had just started undergraduate studies when I started my dreadlocks from 2004. I cut my locks in 2011 when they got too difficult to manage and I didn’t have the time to spend on my hair as I previously did. I cut my hair to a low fade, and the rest is history.
What is your go-to natural hairstyle?
Hahaha, a side part with slicked sides and a side tapered afro.
Have you ever experienced any challenges in the workplace due to your natural hair?
Not to my face! I have heard of other negative experiences but I personally have not had any challenges due to my hair.
What do you love most about your natural hair?
The curls! I have tight coil curls that resemble the spring coil inside a pen; however, I have noticed that my curls have changed over time, perhaps due to the chemical colouring of my hair.
What have you found to be most challenging about being natural?
Maintaining the right balance of moisture in my hair and trying to get it to grow. It perpetually seems to be staying at the same length.
How do you maintain your “work-hair-life” balance?
Honestly, I don’t do anything different. From season to season, I try to mix it up with crochet or regular braids, and once per year, I get a blowout. Otherwise, my hair does what it wants!
What words of encouragement would you offer to someone who is considering going natural, but may have reservations due to their profession?
Embrace your curls. Do not feel limited by others’ perception of what your hair should look like. Once you accept your hair, the way it grows and the way it makes you feel, others will learn to accept and appreciate it. Do not feel the need to conform to Western society’s beauty constructs, as that narrative often does not view Black hair as beautiful. The more you embrace it, the more others will. Get a great stylist who is adept at working with natural hair and get him/her to teach you how to properly care for your curls. Be kind with yourself!
***
Follow Shaneka on
Linkedin: shanekashawtaylor
Instagram: shaneka_taylor
Twitter: @shanekashaw
or visit: http://www.boglaw.ca/shaneka-m-taylor
The Natural Hair Advocate 