Jaja’s African Hair Braiding is an extraordinary play that welcomes you into Jaja’s hustling hair braiding shop in Harlem which is full of West African immigrant hair braiders who face love, dreams, and belonging and who are also working hard every day to achieve the American Dream. This play describes the struggles of being outsiders in their own community. Five women work at the salon in the hot summer of 2019, not counting Jaja’s 18-year-old daughter, Marie, who runs the shop day to day operations. She’s the one who shoulders the heaviest burdens at the shop. Her hopes for college, and a career as a writer, hang by a thread of false papers. Jaja trying to help her accomplish her dreams, gets caught up in what may or may not be a green-card marriage scam with a local white landlord.
This was a well-acted play about friendships, community, family, and love. It is such a beautiful tribute to the working class of immigrants who have built an entire community out of the Harlem hair braiding business. As someone who is an outsider, you walk out of the show feeling like you’ve spent a lifetime with all the characters in the salon who are each so unique in their strengths and flaws as people. I 10/10 recommend this play to all viewers.
