Maya Gwynn
With KVCR Public Media, I'm Maya Gwynn with Black Perspectives IE, a show where we learn about the amazing things members of the Black community are doing in the Inland Empire. My guest today is Tamia Daily, creator of LD Botanicals, a vegan handmade skincare company. Thank you so much for being here.
Tamia Daily
Thank you for having me.
Maya Gwynn
Of course. And we're here to recap the San Bernardino County Unified School District's Natural Hair Day, which took place on February 21. It happened a little bit ago, but I think it's so important to recap it because it's such an important event. Can you start by like just sharing some of the highlights of that day? And as a longtime vendor, what keeps you coming back year after year?
Tamia Daily
Natural Hair Day was amazing. Yeah, Mr. Lawrence Hardy is the creator of Natural Hair Day.
Maya Gwynn
Former guest.
Tamia Daily
Yes. I feel like he did his big one with this event. It was filled with positive energy, education, positive energy from the attendees for the event itself, and also from customers for the vendors. What he likes to call Black Wall Street. So it was pretty amazing. Lots of education about the culture. What keeps me coming back is a few things. First of all, organization is key, and he does a great job at executing things going very smoothly. Also, I love the positive energy from the customers coming to talk to us as vendors. You know, we're entrepreneurs; things can be difficult, and they're very kind and they're very supportive. And then also, of course, the major thing, which is the educational piece of learning about just being our authentic selves and about our culture and the history of our hair. I absolutely love it.
Maya Gwynn
That's beautiful. In your opinion, why is it so important to have spaces that center and celebrate natural hair, especially in the Inland Empire?
Tamia Daily
I think that these spaces are extremely important to continue to encourage us as a culture, and especially young people, that it is okay to be our authentic selves. It is okay to be you, however it is that God made you, and I feel like we get a lot of slack from just different things. Of course, you know, hair and style, fashion and stuff like that - until it's copied. But hair and fashion and all of that, and I feel like it does a great job at encouraging not just the natural hair portion of it, but also the arts that come with the Black culture and community. Like it's encouraging the youth to do whatever it is that they want to do. You get kids that are doing spoken word and all kinds of things, and it's just, it's incredible.
Maya Gwynn
The hair show too, right?
Tamia Daily
Yeah, it's an actual hair show. There's a lot of dances that are done by the kids and some of the performers too, some adults as well. But I think it's a great way to shape and form children's perspectives and youth, and even I mean, as adults, like because things are so confusing right now. Absolutely, so much confusion going around, and I think cultivating these types of spaces in the Inland Empire more and more, just beyond natural hair day, because he's one of the spearheads of such an event. But cultivating these types of spaces is going to be extremely important for us, just like going forward. And I hope it encourages more people to do it.
Maya Gwynn
Absolutely. As a long-term vendor, what kind of conversations were you having with the customers at your booth, especially young children?
Tamia Daily
Okay, so I do get some young children. The questions that I usually get, or like the fascination, is around me hand making all of my products. And so they're always like, "You did that?" Like you made this yourself?
Maya Gwynn
Take time to plug your business. How long have you been doing it, and what kind of stuffs do you make?
Tamia Daily
Okay, I have been doing LD Botanicals. I launched officially, I believe, in 2011. Okay, basically, I formulate products that help with skin issues: acne, hyperpigmentation, anti-aging, sensitive skin. I make cleansers, toners, moisturizers, serum, body butter, body oil, all kinds of stuff. Face mask, you name it.
Maya Gwynn
I love that. Why do you think natural hair still carries so much social and political weight today?
Tamia Daily
We are encouraged to be small, not too loud, not too smart, not too beautiful, not too, you know, filling the blanks. And I feel like it's an attempt to keep us from realizing our true power and like really walking in our true power and realizing the movements and the things that we can actually do, like in that power, if we harness that power. And so I think that that's what makes it problematic. We are a very strong culture, and I think sotimes other cultures see that before we see that, or see it more than we see that, and that's why the systems come in place to like keep us small, so to speak.
Maya Gwynn
Definitely. And looking ahead, what do you hope to see for the future of Natural Hair Day and the natural hair movement as a whole? As someone who - I love watching YouTube videos, I feel like in 2011, I feel like everyone had like a natural hair channel. And then I feel like it's kind of gone away. But I do feel like people are still talking about it. So, what do you hope for the future of this event and also for this movement as a whole?
Tamia Daily
Yes. So, first of all, we're gonna declare it right now. Natural Hair Day exploding. I see it, I mean, every year. So this was the fourth year, and every single year we have had to be moved to a larger space because it just fills up so fast year after year. So I see it continuing to grow massively and being like a staple event that people are looking forward to every year. As far as natural hair, just as a whole, I feel like right now the veil is being lifted on a lot of different things, just like in life and in the world right now, and I hope that we will continue to be our true selves and walk authentically and being our whole selves. You know, when we're stepping into a room, like if my hair is like this, this is how I have braids. This is what I'm wearing. You know what I mean? Like, and just living in that truth, I hope to see that more and more.
Maya Gwynn
Yeah, keep the momentum going. We're gonna move to a rapid fire portion. If your work had a theme song, what would it be?
Tamia Daily
Living My Life Like it's Golden.
Maya Gwynn
I love that. No one said that yet. If you had to teach a master class or give a TED talk on a random skill you have besides skills that people already know that you have, what would it be?
Tamia Daily
It would be gardening or flower arrangements.
Maya Gwynn
And what's your favorite IE restaurant or landmark that reminds you of the Inland Empire?
Tamia Daily
I'm gonna have to say Route 66. I'm just gonna have to say Route 66 where it started - where it all started.
Maya Gwynn
Yeah, I love that. And how can people keep up with you and support the work that you're doing?
Tamia Daily
Okay. Yes, you can follow me on Instagram at LD Botanicals and also LDBotanicals.com. I actually created a discount code so you can use code NHD: Natural Hair Day for 20% off.
Maya Gwynn
Such a good business. I love that.
Tamia Daily
Thank you.
Maya Gwynn
Thank you so much. This was such a good conversation.
Tamia Daily
It was very good. Thank you so much for having me. Appreciate it.
Maya Gwynn
Tamia Daily is creator of LD Botanicals, a vegan handmade skincare company. Find this segment and others at kvcr.org/bpie. Support for this segment comes from the M.E.C.C.A IE Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation, advancing racial equity and supporting long-term investments in Black-led organizations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Join us again next week for Black Perspectives IE. For KVCR Public Media, I'm Maya Gwynn. Thank you.
If you're enjoying Black Perspectives IE, you can donate to support this series at kvcr.org/BPIEdonate
