Flint, MI—While many Midwestern fathers were preparing for Sunday’s Super Bowl game, a group of local dads gathered to work on something else: their children’s hair.

The “Daddy Do My Hair” event on Feb. 12, 2023 was put on by InvolvedDad (ID), a Flint-based organization that strives to create strong families through fatherhood engagement.

“I just know a lot of the challenges I had personally,” Shon Hart explained of why he founded ID back in 2015.

Shon Hart (right), the Executive Director of InvolvedDad and co-organizer of the event, greets Jamal Merritt and his daughters, identical twins J’Nay and J’Niya Merritt, during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)

Hart said his own father had been present in his life but not very involved, and when he later worked in a prison, Hart also saw the toll a father’s absence has on his children from another vantage.

“So I said, you know, I will impact these children through fatherhood engagement, right? Helping fathers to learn better skills, removing some of the barriers that’s preventing them from showing up and being the father that they desire to be or that their children need them to be.”

While ID runs more holistic services—like IMPACT, a 15-week program that provides men strategies to better co-parent and safe, supervised visitation space, among other supports—Sunday’s event was focused on the basics.

“What we realize with some of our dads is, when you have this whole co-parenting piece, a lot of times when dad finally gets child… he’s like, ‘Man, I have this child for a limited time. I don’t want to mess this up,’” Hart said. 

Fathers may only get to see their child every-other week or weekend, Hart noted, and therefore they may not have the confidence or skills to best care for their little ones.

“So what happens is he becomes this ‘fun’ parent. He doesn’t know how to be his authentic self, right? He’s always performing,” Hart said.

Therefore, Hart worked with local barber Dwayne Harrington Sr., who goes by “Wayne the Barber,” to host the Feb. 12 workshop to teach dads how to take care of children’s hair.

Tiana Harrington (left) and her husband Dwayne Harrington Sr. (right), also known as Wayne the Barber, co-organizers of the event, pose for a portrait during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Dwayne Harrington Sr. (right), also known as Wayne the Barber, lines up Jacoby Manns (left) during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)

Hart said the event is meant to accomplish two things. First, Hart said he hopes it shows fathers how easily they can create memories with their children—something especially meaningful for Jacolby Bratcher and his daughter Khloe Williams. Khloe’s mother passed away in January 2021, Bratcher said, and he wants to learn how to do Khloe’s hair to fill that role.

Jacolby Bratcher (left) holds his daughter Khloe Williams (right) on his lap during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)

“It’s been rough, but hey, I gotta keep it going,” Bratcher said. “Her and her little brother keep me going for sure.”

Although Khloe has Angelman Syndrome and does not communicate verbally, she’ll run up to Bratcher and tap her hair when she wants to her hair done.

“She loves getting her hair done,” Bratcher said. “I just can’t do it. So when I’m able to, I would love it.”

Growing up without his own father in his life, he explained, has shown him the importance of the role he now embodies for Khloe.

“It’s very important for a dad to be in a kid’s life because it brings structure, responsibility, love, strength,” Bratcher said. “It’s a lot of things that a mother can’t teach a kid, and it’s a lot of things that a father can’t teach a kid that a mother can. So both relationships are important. I don’t think no relationship is more important. It’s all equal. They just need to be there.”

Aside from memory-building, Hart told Flint Beat, ID events like Daddy Do My Hair also offer fathers a practical skill.

Tae Jackson (right) smiles as he looks at his daughter Taelor Jackson (left) during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)

“A lot of times these dads have their children for the weekend, and they struggle like, ‘Okay, well, what am I doing with my child’s hair? How do I do this?’ So we want to at least give him some of the basics,” Hart explained. “So now you’re understanding the different textures of hair. You’re understanding why this is important. If mom needs you to take [your daughter’s] braids out, this is the correct way to do it.”

That was the case for Tae Jackson and his only daughter Taelor Jackson. Jackson has always been interested in hair, he said, cutting and styling his and his sons’ hair. But before this event, he didn’t know how to do the same for his daughter.

“Especially about the products, about putting it in her hair, I learned I was putting the wrong products in,” he said. “And that can damage their hair.”

Meanwhile, Taelor excitedly braided a mannequin’s hair in one of the event’s demonstration stations, smiling the whole time. Jackson wants to turn his passion for hair styling into a business eventually, he said, and seeing his daughter’s enthusiasm for it only boosted that.

“It’s something rarely seen and done,” he said. “This field right here, we can both be hands on. I like it, she like it.”

Taelor Jackson smiles as she braids a mannequin head’s hair during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)

Hart was happy to report that Sunday’s event had sold out well before the barbershop doors opened, but ID will continue to host events like it alongside its other cohort programming.

“The biggest thing is that, you know, strong fathers create strong communities,” Hart said, noting that when dad is not present, his child is at greater risk for poverty, mental health issues, low self-esteem and criminal behavior. 

“So we’re trying to break the generational strongholds that has been plaguing some families when a father is not present,” he said. “We are intentional about that.”

Blake Lewis (center) smiles while she and her father Billie Lewis (center, right), along with Calvin and Ava Banks (left), watch Kim Burney demonstrate how to shampoo and condition hair during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Jamal Merritt (left) laughs as he gets ready to try his hand at blow drying hair after Crystal R. Amaya (right), a master cosmetologist and educator, demonstrated how to do it during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Shamera Enright (right), a nail technician of seven years, shows Taelor Jackson (center) and her father Tae Jackson (left) how to take care of their nails during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Jamal Merritt (center, left) puts a bobby pin into his daughter J’Nay Merrit’s hair during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Sophia Boyd, a hair stylist and the salon owner, poses for a portrait during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Nay Hasan (right) puts heart stickers on her father Tauheed Hasan’s hand during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Tauheed Hasan (right) kisses his daughter Nay Hasan (left) on her forehead during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Billie Lewis tries his hand at blow drying hair after Crystal R. Amaya, a master cosmetologist and educator, demonstrated how to do it during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Sophia Boyd (left), a hair stylist and the salon owner, laughs as she demonstrates how to braid hair during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Myionna Patton (center) smiles at her father Reuben Patton (right) after he braided a mannequin head’s hair with the help of Portia Odom (left), a hair stylist of 36 years, during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Deonte Stephen (right) and his daughter Leah Stephen watch as Kim Burney, a licensed cosmetologist at New Altitudes Beauty Salon, demonstrates how to shampoo and condition hair during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Shamera Enright (left), a nail technician of seven years, shows Taelor Jackson (right) how to take care of her nails during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Steam blows onto J’Nay Merritt as Crystal Grays, of Kiss’d and Nail’d Studio, demonstrates facial care techniques during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Gift bags full of nail care essentials wait to be handed out during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Clips and combs rest on a towel during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Levi Hart, the son of InvolvedDad Executive Director Shon Hart, lays on the organization’s shirts during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Sydni Hart, an administrative supporter at InvolvedDad and daughter of Shon Hart, the organization’s executive director, poses for a portrait during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Portia Odom, a hair stylist of 36 years, prepares a mannequin head for demonstrating different hairstyles during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Kim Burney, a licensed cosmetologist at New Altitudes Beauty Salon, demonstrates how to shampoo and condition hair during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Kim Burney, a licensed cosmetologist at New Altitudes Beauty Salon, demonstrates how to shampoo and condition hair during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Egypt, Ayrabella and Ellionna Horton do each other’s hair in a salon chair during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Wayne the Barber lines up Jacoby Manns during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Shon Hart, the Executive Director of InvolvedDad and co-organizer of the event, shows his shirt that reads “Dads are Dope” during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Shon Hart (right), the Executive Director of InvolvedDad and co-organizer of the event, takes a video of Marchristin Moore (left) and his daughters Amina and Amarah Moore shows his shirt that reads “Dads are Dope” during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Jamal Merritt (left) and his daughters, identical twins J’Nay (center, left) and J’Niya Merritt (center, right), talk with Kim Burney (right), a licensed cosmetologist at New Altitudes Beauty Salon, during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Jawann Horton and his daughters Egypt, Ayrabella and and Elionna Horton get ready to leave after Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
Jawann Horton switches stations with his daughters Egypt, Ayrabella and and Elionna Horton during Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)
J’Nay Merritt (left) tells her friend she wants to call her later to talk more about hair and nail styling while she and her identical twin sister J’Niya Merritt (center) color and play with stickers after Daddy Do My Hair, an event teaching fathers how to style and take care of their daughters’ hair, at Meraki Studio of Beauty in Burton, Mich. on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)

Kate is Flint Beat's associate editor. She joined the team as a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues....

Michael is Flint Beat’s multimedia journalist. He joined the team as a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered...