Uwa Ede-Osifo is a news associate for NBC News.
To playwright Jocelyn Bioh, the African hair braiders of Harlem are icons. “They’re a large part of the economy of Harlem,” Bioh said of the Manhattan neighborhood. “Those are women-owned businesses, and for the most part led.” Despite the ubiquity of the salons, most visible along 125th Street in Manhattan, Bioh saw little attention paid to the lives of braiders beyond their occupation. Her play “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” debuted a few miles away from Harlem, at the Samuel J.
” She continued: “You can wake up one day and the end of your day can be completely different. All because you didn’t have paperwork.” The American dream that immigrants seek often does sync with the reality of living in the United States, Bioh added. Her writing is rooted in revealing these truths, which at times can be heartbreaking. But Bioh noted the truth can also be funny. Despite a heavy apex, the play centers the endearing camp and ridiculousness of African “aunties.
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