b'COMMUNITYRemembering A Mother Who Was Ahead of Her TimeBy Sheila Smith likeMadameCJWalkerwhorevo-lutionizedbeautyhairproductsfor black women.D r. Martha B. Hayes favorite say- Gwen Nava grew up in Washington ing was Put God first and every- D.C.butsaidhermother,Martha thingelsewillcome,becausewhenHayes, was from North Carolina. She God gives you something, no man cantalkedabouthowhermotherspent take it away. much of her life making a name for MarthaHayeshasbeengoneforherself by doing womens hair.sometime.ShepassedawaywhenShe was creative, said Gwen and God called her home on November 19,sharedhowhermotherstartedout 1994. at a young age doing her sisters and She was a woman ahead of her timebrothershair.Shepressedhersis-back in the 1950s by opening a chainters hair with a fork back then and ofbeautysalonsandbeingcreativewould curl it with a knife.with hair. Another true entrepreneurGwens mother worked for a wig shop in Washington D.C.She later returnedtoNorthCarolina after finishing beauty schoolMartha Hayes Gwen Navaand opened her first salon.My mom had three beauty salons by the time she was She was a woman ahead26 years old. Her daughter owns a hair salon calledonhowmuchherlifemirroredher Hair Fetish Experience in Aurora. Andmothers life.anotherdaughterlivesinNewYork of her time back in theGwenadds,Wewouldandtravelsdoinghairforweddings,MarthaHayes,didntletanything traveltheworldwithherstop her from doing hair and running hair shows and was featured in New dress, referring to the wed-1950s by opening a chainding dress her mother madeYork Fashion Week. her salons. Not even having eight and adopting nine children. fromhumanhairandfea-of beauty salons andturedonRipleysBelieveItEven Gwens brother Daniel HayesShebecamepopularinherhome-is part of the hair industry by owningtownforbeingthefirstAfrican or Not.Jordans Barber Shop in Aurora and being creative with hair. Gwen also became a self- one in Lone Tree. American to be pictured in the phone book in Fayetteville, NC.madebusinesswomaninIwastheyoungestcosmetologistShe set the stage for being a fierce owningsalonsandcon- onrecordtogotobeautyschoolinsuccessfulbusinesswoman.Apower-tinuingafamilytradition.North Carolina. I was in beauty schoolful confident woman who ministered to SheusedtoownRumorsat age 13. I had my first shop at ageothers on how to have faith in God.Salonthatisnowclosed.15 in North Carolina, explains Gwen BODY OF CHRIST NEWS SEPTEMBER 2020 11'