Wilmington police pay for haircuts for girls

Wilmington police wanted to ensure young girls heading back to school this year didn't have just pens, notebooks and backpacks – they wanted them to have fresh haircuts, too.

Dozens of young girls piled into Babe's Hair Salon on North Market Street Wednesday to have their scalps scrubbed, braids undone and hair styled as the first day of school draws nearer. City police officers for the second year in a row raised more than $500 to cover the cost of haircuts, manicures and personal hygiene products for school-age girls with positive report cards. The salon services continue downtown Thursday.

"We wanted to give them a different experience sitting in the salons," said Senior Cpl. Kenita Champion, motioning to the girls drinking soda out of plastic champagne flutes.

The mother of two and longtime Wilmington police officer said she knows the self-confidence that comes with having your hair done and wanted to give those same positive feelings to young girls returning to their respective schools. The support she received from fellow officers was overwhelming, she said while a few officers and detectives poured drinks and talked with the girls.

Jenae Bell bounced in her chair Wednesday, her hair piled into a plastic cap under a heater. She planned to have her hair flat-ironed, she said, a change from the braids and then, the puff, she sported this summer. Now that she was headed back to school, she wanted something that worked with her favorite subject in school: gym class.

"I love basketball," the 10-year-old said. "Someday, I want to be in the NBA."

Her friend, 8-year-old Nadirah Wilson, eventually switched seats with her, letting the heat work the conditioner into her dark locks. Wilson, who lives in Wilmington, said she was still undecided about how she would have her hair styled.

When it came to her nails, though, the third grader knew exactly what she wanted.

STORY: Wilmington's summer ends with new backpacks, fireworks

STORY: Delivering school supplies for needy children 

"Pink," she said, holding out her hands. "You know, my nickname is Pink, too, because I love the color."

Getting her hair and nails done for the first time since April made her feel beautiful, she said. And it came just in time to conquer math, her favorite subject. Adding and subtracting numbers isn't hard for Wilson, she said, and she's excited to head back to school.

But Babe's Hair Salon Owner Ebon Flagg wanted to remind the girls of one thing: They are all babes.

After gaining their attention, Flagg walked the girls through how to take care of their hair once they went home. He reminded them to keep deep conditioning their hair once a month to make it look strong and healthy and to have their moms help them when they struggled.

"You girls are the next Michelle Obamas, the next Hanifa Shabazz's, the next leaders of our country," Flagg said. "We want you to feel beautiful."

Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.