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In the Field of Cosmetology, a pioneer rarely heard of by many

Springfield, MO—Last month, Daniel Ogunyemi was named OTC’s first director of diversity, equity and inclusion. Based in Springfield, he will work with all of OTC campuses and centers in the college’s 12-county service region. “Every time I heard someone talk about OTC, mainly employees, they all seemed excited to work there — the culture, the atmosphere,” Ogunyemi said. “All the programs it has. It seemed very cool to be a part of.” The Louisiana native moved to the Ozarks to attend Southwest Baptist University, where he earned a degree in counseling psychology. He has a master’s degree in counseling from Evangel University. Daniel served as the volunteer coordinator for CASA of Southwest Missouri before taking a job, nearly a year ago, working in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion at Burrell Behavioral Health. “Being able to build my own program in hopes of creating a more inclusive atmosphere for staff, for students and for community members and for stakeholders from all over is what drew me,” he said. “It is a little hard to leave, on multiple fronts, but I’m excited to work at OTC.” OTC Chancellor Hal Higdon said more people from underrepresented groups have been choosing OTC to further their education. “It’s been a goal of ours to fund this position for a while,” he said. Higdson said students from all backgrounds need to feel included at OTC. “He is here to help us become a more diverse, more welcoming community.” Ogunyemi was one of 45 applicants for the job and four who were interviewed. Higdon said his positivity and dynamic personality made him the choice. “I’ll be leading the work of diversity, equity and inclusion, access and belonging but I will also be soliciting my coworkers to infuse that into the culture,” he said. Ogunyemi said helping students achieve their academic and career goals will help grow a diverse workforce in southwest Missouri. “We are representing what America is becoming. We are representing what it means to be a community college,” he said. “When we are looking at hiring, when we are looking at recruiting, when we are looking at higher-up positions, we will be ensuring we have a robust pipeline of qualified individuals from many, many different backgrounds.”

by Carla Benhum Unite Guest Writer

Christina Mae Jenkins was the African American hair stylist who was the “trail blazer” and inventor of the sew-in hair weaving process. Hair weaves were first seen among the Egyptians as early as 3400 B.C. At this time in history, women often wore braids, sewn-on hair pieces and wigs made from sheep wool. Hair weaves were very popular in the 1950’s as they were worn by many celebrities. In the 1970’s, weaves were also very popular globally especially during the long disco hair era. Christina (Christina Mae Thomas) was born in Zillplatt, Louisiana on December 25, 1920. She attended Leland College (an all- black college founded in 1870) located near Baton Rouge and graduated with science degree in 1943. Christina obtained a teaching certificate in math and the same year married Herman Duke Jenkins-- one of Cleveland’s leading jazz performers. They had one child—a daughter. The family resided in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1949, Christina worked in a wig manufacturing company located in Chicago. This job peaked her interest in devising new ways to hold wigs and hair pieces in place. At this time, women simply used bobby pins to hold them in place. Her extensive research inspired her to design a permanent way to attach commercial hair to natural hair. She later moved to Malvern, Ohio to develop weaving extensions into braids. Christina’s technique was

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