Black Owned Business Is Breaking Big Barriers In Vegas
Celebrating Black History Month, to me, means celebrating those who have and continue to break down barriers in the community. I recently discovered a black owned business in North Las Vegas that is doing just that. Celebrating Black men and women who have fought for freedom, justice and equality. Those who are making history right now by creating a platform for people of color.
A Black Owned Business That’s Changing More Than Just Nails
This week, I visited Beyond The Barrier Salon Suites. The owner is Mrs Jaya Demmons. She moved from Dayton, Ohio with entrepreneurship as her focus. She first came up with the name Beyond The Barrier during her service in a ministry. When she started a dance team in her church named Beyond The Barrier Praise Dance Team.
Ministering in dance wasn’t enough for Jaya. Her focus was to go past the church walls and create generational wealth for her and her family. But her goal did not come without its share of struggles. First off, she started her business in 2019, right before Covid hit. Because of the pandemic, the building process came to an abrupt stop. But Jaya did not lose faith.
After they were able to start again, barrier two came. Financial struggles that come with being a first-time business owner. Again, this determined woman did not quit. She got back up and kept on pushing.
The salon finally reopened. And became a staple in the black community. Then this powerful black woman decided she wanted to help others become entrepreneurs as well. That’s when Jaya gave birth to her next baby: Beyond The Barrier Salon Suites. A second location, just a few miles away from her flagship store.
Paving The Way For Other Black Owned Business In Las Vegas
At the new location, Jaya’s employees became their own business owners. Instead of getting paid as an employee, they make their own decisions and their own money and rent the space in which they work. Each person also has their own private room to practice their profession.
Some of the options you can get at Beyond The Barrier Salon Suites include mani-pedis, facials, waxing, hair, lashes, make-up, and body contouring. The salon is located at 722 W Carey Ave Suite F in North Las Vegas. Open seven days a week 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. And don’t think this is just for the ladies. I already have my appointment set. And no, I’m not getting a Brazilian Wax. Thanks for asking.
Spotlighting Black Innovators And Their Inventions
Potato Chips
George Speck invented potato chips. According to multiple sources, he invented the snack food by accident. In the mid-1850s while he was working as a chef at a resort in Saratoga Springs, a customer sent their friends back for being cut too thick. Speck sliced the potatoes as thing as possible before frying them to a crisp. Apparently, the customer liked them this way and this style of fried potato caught on.
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Pacemaker
Otis Boykin, an electrical engineer and inventor created nearly 30 electronic devices and received 11 patents. In 1964, he created a control unit for the first successful pacemaker. When implanted in the heart, this device helps regulate the heartbeat. Boykin earned his first patent in 1959 for a wire resistor.
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Home Security System
In 1966, Mary Van Brittan Brown received credit for inventing the first-known home security system. She was a nurse who worked odd hours looking for a way to protect herself and her house. She designed a system that used a motorized camera to project images onto a monitor. Additionally, this system allowed homeowners to unlock their doors with a remote to allow access to first respond.
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Traffic Lights
Garret Morgan invented a device that we use every day, the traffic light. Morgan worked out a solution to make driving safer for everyone. His three-light traffic signal included a warning signal to let drivers know to stop. After getting a patent for this invention, he sold it to General Electric for $40,000.
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Super Soaker
Many of us have used this invention, the Super Soaker. The person behind this creation is Lonnie Johnson. He was a former Air Force and NASA engineer. In 1989, Johnson licensed the water gun to Larami Corporation, eventually bought by Hasbro Corporation. According to the Museum of Play, the first Super Soaker went on sale in 1990, and 27 million water guns were sold a $10 each in the first three years of production.
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Automatic Elevator Doors
Alexander Miles was a barber who owned a shop in a four-story hotel in Duluth, Minnesota. He saw the risks of manually operated shaft doors presented to riders. He invented a way for elevators to open and close automatically using levers and rollers. In 1887, he received a patent for his idea. According to the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the influence of his elevator patent is still seen in modern designs since the automatic opening and closing of elevator and elevator shaft doors is a standard feature.
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