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Richmond’s Hair We Go braids confidence into next generation

Hair We Go isn’t your average summer camp. It’s a place where Richmond girls learn that hair can be more than a style: It can be a step toward confidence and building a business.

Three days a week from June to August, dozens of girls from the ages of 11–19 learn the art of braiding — from basic cornrows to trending styles like knotless braids. Beyond technique, the girls are also taught about how to build a brand and dream like business owners.

“It's just so much more than braiding,” Shavon Ragsdale said. She founded the camp in 2024 as part of her nonprofit, Village Against Violence. “We need to teach youth how to be themselves. How to find their way. I tell my students, ‘If you can braid, you can start a business.’”

Ragsdale said many of the girls come from neighborhoods where opportunities and resources are limited. At Hair We Go, she wanted to offer something unique: access, sisterhood and a place to grow.

Clark gets help from her aunt, Ragsdale
Shaban Athuman
/
VPM News
Malaia Clark adjust the hair washing station with help from her aunt, Shavon Ragsdale, during a Hair We Go summer camp on Monday, June 16, 2025 at Diversity Thrift in Richmond, Virginia. During the three days a week from June to August, dozens of girls from the ages of 11–19 learn the art of braiding.

“I want them to know how to turn beauty into a career so that they can be successful,” Ragsdale said.

Every week, local beauty industry professionals like Tateyana Rucker volunteer their time by giving hands-on lessons and mentoring the girls as they develop their skills and confidence. Rucker said this camp also helps girls see hairstyling as a tool for self-expression and creativity.

“It's allowing them to have access to something that everyone doesn't have access to, especially in Richmond,” Rucker said. “Having this type of access, teaching them a skill, something that they can carry with them to help establish themselves as young adults.”

The camp is already making an impact on the community. This year, Ragsdale said they received over 150 applications from all over Greater Richmond — and there are 50 girls on the program’s waitlist.

Rucker demostrates to Quarles how to braid
Shaban Athuman
/
VPM News
Tateyana Rucker teaches Star Quarles how to braid during a Hair We Go summer camp on Monday, June 16, 2025 at Diversity Thrift in Richmond, Virginia. During the three days a week from June to August, dozens of girls from the ages of 11–19 learn the art of braiding.

“This is so personal to me. It's something that I created because, growing up, I didn't have this. My family struggled. I didn't have the resources that I needed,” Ragsdale said.

To help make the program accessible to families this year, Hair We Go received a one-time $12,500 grant from NextUp RVA and the City of Richmond, making the program free and exclusively for Richmond Public Schools students.

Jazmin Richburg first attended the camp’s inaugural session at the Peter Paul Development Center in the heart of Richmond’s East End.

“I love braiding. I love being here,” Richburg said.

Before coming to camp, Richburg didn’t know how to braid. But now, she’s even styling her aunt’s hair.

“I didn't know how to cornrow. I didn't know how to do any of that. My grip was terrible. I didn't really know how to feed the hair,” Richburg said. “I've improved over the years.”

Rucker demotrates how to braid to Scott
Shaban Athuman
/
VPM News
Tateyana Rucker teaches Jordynn Scott during a Hair We Go summer camp on Monday, June 16, 2025 at Diversity Thrift in Richmond, Virginia. During the three days a week from June to August, dozens of girls from the ages of 11–19 learn the art of braiding.

Ragsdale said that while beauty is at the center of this camp, it’s also about self-care and self-worth. For her, the real reward is watching young girls leave the program feeling more confident and ready to braid not just hair, but a future full of possibilities.

“This is my therapy. I just want to be that positive person to help girls see that they are more than what they know,” she said.

While funding for next year’s summer session is up in the air, Ragsdale said that isn’t stopping her from dreaming big. Down the line, she hopes to offer an apprenticeship program and explore in-school partnerships.

Keyris Manzanares reports on the City of Richmond for VPM News.