U.S. Army Honors IJ’s First Client

Pamela Ferrell and her husband Taalib-Din Uqdah were IJ’s first clients. On November 1, 1991, IJ filed a lawsuit on their behalf challenging the constitutionality of Washington, D.C.’s cosmetology licensing scheme. As a result of the lawsuit, the District of Columbia government partly deregulated its cosmetology industry, allowing hair braiders to practice their craft.

Without the constant threat of being shut down, their salon flourished and Pamela has become a recognized authority in the natural haircare industry. Most recently, she assisted the U.S. Army in revising its haircare and grooming guidelines to allow for natural hairstyles such as twists and braids. For her work with the Army, Pamela was recently honored at a ceremony where Lt. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg expressed his “sincere appreciation for your outstanding support during the Army’s process of reviewing the hairstyles within Army Regulation.”