CHICAGO—Following the instruction of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in his July 4th message entitled, “The Criterion,” Latasha Muhammad refused the COVID-19 vaccine mandate at her job.
As a result, she was fired on October 15, 2021. “The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan told us not to take their vaccine,” Sis. Latasha said. “I held true to that.”
After a discussion with her husband, she decided to focus on her passion, which was the beauty industry. She had already completed cosmetology school.
“I was inspired by watching my older brother Jesse Nunley, who is a master barber and instructor,” she said. “He started out carrying a bag on his back doing clients, then he was blessed to start his own business. I always wanted to be like him.”
Her husband, Brother Marcus Muhammad, a licensed plumber, who backed his wife completely, went to work. First, they had to find a location and then convince the local municipality that they were not opening up “just another traditional nail shop.”
The salon, located at 4009 167th in Country Club Hills, a suburb of Chicago, was formerly a retail outlet, which Bro. Marcus and his team, which included his son, converted into a state-of-the-art facility. His plumbing knowledge and exposure to quality salons in other communities were extremely helpful.
“Within the past five years, I have done the plumbing in at least 12 nail salons in areas such as Naperville, Elgin, Bolingbrook, and the North Side of Chicago, just to name a few,” Bro. Marcus said. “These were very nice salons, and I would never see any like that in our community. One thing that stood out was the exhaust system. Each manicure table and pedicure chair had an exhaust system connected to remove fumes from the area.”
Bro. Marcus knew he would recreate that type of quality for Black consumers who deserve the best too. They celebrated the grand opening of JBB Nail’D It Salon: Nail, Spa and Beauty Bar on Oct. 15, 2022, exactly one year after Sis. Latasha was fired from Advocate Aurora Health.
“My daughter and I went to JBB Nail’D It and this was by far my absolute best experience with a Black-owned nail salon! All the ladies in the shop were extremely friendly and helpful,” said Alicia Muhammad. “I found my nail home! They have a client forever in me.”
Some waited for the chance to become a patron.
“After spending thousands of dollars over a course of time in other communities, I anxiously waited with great anticipation of the opening of JBB Nail’D It. I went for my first appointment back in September of this year and I have been going faithfully ever since,” Latasha Scott said.
JBB Nail’D It is already earning a reputation for providing quality service. They have even been blessed with a visit from Mother Khadijah Farrakhan, the wife of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and mother to the entire Nation of Islam, and their daughter, Sis. Maria Farrakhan.
“The response has been great. We get walk-ins every day and people also can schedule a time in advance. The people are excited and glad that it’s a Black-owned nail salon in the community,” Sis. Latasha said.
The competition is watching. An Asian couple claiming they were looking for employment came into the shop.
“In reality they were surveying our business. They were surprised by the high standards that the salon was constructed on,” Bro. Marcus said. “They knew exactly what they were looking at.”
The nail salon industry amounts to roughly $8 billion annually. Nationwide, 50 percent of nail salon owners are Vietnamese.
For more information or to book an appointment, visit www.jbbnaildit.com or call 708-960-4479.
