McHenry County Black business owners feted for Black History Month

In Black communities, the salon or barber shop is not were clients go only to have their hair done. A wash, cut and blow dry for Black hair can take two hours, minimum, said Donna Lowe, owner of the Donna Lowe Salon in Algonquin. That is why she has worked to make her salon part of the larger community, giving members a place to meet and talk whether they get their styled and set at the time or not. “Our salons are not just a place to get hair done. It is where community meets and talks. It is intergenerational conversations with organic discussions,” Lowe said. “Our salons are not just a place to get hair done. It is where community meets and talks. It is intergenerational conversations with organic discussions.” —  Donna Lowe, owner of the Donna Lowe Salon in Algonquin On Sunday, working with the now-organizing McHenry County African American Business Association, Lowe invited the community to learn about some of the county’s Black-owned businesses. There are several of them, said Emily Ferguson. Ferguson, 66, moved to McHenry County three years ago from the Beverly neighborhood in Chicago after her daughter and grandchildren moved to the county. Since...