MONICA: ALL EVENING WE HAVE BROUGHT THE STORIES OF POWERFUL STORIES FROM YEARS GONE BY WHO PAVED THE WAY FOR THOSE TODAY. INCLUDING KATIA. SHE BELIEVES NEW HAMPSHIRE STILL HAS A WAYS TO GO WHEN IT COMES TO SOMETHING AS UNIVERSAL AS HAIR. AT THE SALON IN MANCHESTER KATIA WANTS TO MAKE ONE THING CLEAR. >> WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE CAN BE INCLUDED. BLACK, WHITE, INDIAN, ASIAN, IT DOES NOT MATTER. MONICA: SHE OPENED THE SALON TO WELCOME ALL PEOPLE WITH ALL TYPES OF HAIR. >> I DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA OF BEING SEPARATE OR NOT BEING ABLE TO OFFER SERVICES TO EVERYONE. MONICA: IT IS WHY A DECADE AGO SHE DECIDED TO EXPAND HER TRAINING AND GET HER COSMETOLOGY LICENSE. >> I ALREADY KNEW HOW TO DO TEXTURED HAIR, BUT I WANTED TO LEARN EVERYTHING. MONICA: NEW HAMPSHIRE DOES NOT REQUIRE A LICENSE FOR WHAT IS CALLED NATURAL HAIR BREEDING. THAT IS TWISTING, RAPPING, WEAVING, EXTENDING, LOCKING, GRADING HERE WITH HAND OR DEVICES. THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED A LAW SAYING "IT HAS NO INTEREST IN REQUIRING PERSONS PRACTICING NATURAL HAIR BRAIDING TO OBTAIN AN OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE WHICH MAKES IT UNNECESSARILY DIFFICULT TO EARN AN HONEST LIVING." THEY WANT TO CREATE "NEW EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES." KETTIA BELIEVES LEAVING IT OUT OF THE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS IN THE CURRICULUM SENDS A DIFFERENT MESSAGE. >> KIND OF DOWNPLAYS OUR SERVICES AS IF THEY ARE NOT IMPORTANT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE DOES PUT ANY VALUE ON THAT AS OF TODAY. MONICA: RIGHT NOW IT IS UP TO INDIVIDUAL COSMETOLOGY SCHOOLS WITH TO OFFER CURRICULUM ON AT THAT, TEXTURED HAIR, AND NATURAL HAIR BRAIDING. IT IS NOT REQUIRED. THE HEAD OF THE OFFICE OF CERTIFICATION SAYS SHE WILL BRING THAT UP WITH THE COSMETOLOGY BOARD. KETTIA BELIEVES THOSE WORKING WITH HAIR SHOULD BE ABLE TO WORK WITH ALL TYPES. >> IF YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR AND YOU SAY, I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY SKIN AND THE DOCTOR SAYS, WELL I CANNOT SERVICE YOU BECAUSE YOUR SKIN IS BROWN. I DO NOT HAVE ANY EDUCATION ON BROWN SKIN. MONICA: A BIG REASON SHE OPENED THE SALON. >> IT IS IMPORTANT TO JUST LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF SO YOU CAN PORTRAY THAT OUT. MONICA: THAT’S WHAT SHE HOPES TO GET EVERYBODY WHO WALKS INTO THE SALON AS SHE STANDS FOR EQUALITY AND INCLUSIVENESS THE BEST WAY SHE KNOWS HOW. >> IT DOES NOT MATTER. WHO YOU ARE. YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. MIKE: DIVERSITY IS DEFINED AS THE PRACTICE OF INCLUDING PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SOCIAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS. BUT IT IS DEFINED DIFFERENTLY TO THE LIVES OF GRANITE STATERS. >> DIVERSITY THROUGH THE EYES OF GRANITE STATERS. >> WHEN I THINK DIVERSITY, I THINK TIMES SQUARE IN NEW YORK CITY. YOU CAN LOOK AROUND AND SEE PEOPLE FROM LONDON, YOU CAN LOOK AROUND AND SEE PEOPLE THAT ARE AMISH, YOU CAN LOOK AROUND AND SEE PEOPLE FROM THE ISLANDS. >> DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HE SAW AS A NINE-YEAR-OLD WHEN HE MOVED TO MANCHESTER FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO. HE CALLS A CULTURE SHOCK. AS A KID HE REMEMBERS COMING HOME AND WATCHING THE EDDIE MURPHY MOVIE "COMING TO AMERICA" EVERY DAY. >> I WAS WATCHING IT EVERY DAY BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY PLACE I COULD SEE BLACK PEOPLE. >> TWO WESTON, DIVERSITY MEANS. >> WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT AND WE CAN DISAGREE ON THINGS LIKE RELIGIONS AND STUFF. WE CAN ALL DISAGREE, BUT WE ALL MATTER. >> AND A 14-YEAR-OLD MICHAELA. >> I THINK OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND HOW OTHER PEOPLE TREAT DIFFERENT RACES AND DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASSES. >> EVA IS AN IMMIGRANT FROM VENEZUELA. >> ACCEPTING DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEWS AND ACCEPTING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES FROM YOUR OWN MEANS SOMEBODY OTHER THAN YOU. >> ESTATE CAN OFTEN SEEM HOMOGENEOUS, EVA SAYS DO NOT JUST NOTICE THE DIFFERENCES, INVITE THEM INTO YOUR LIFE. >> WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT MIGHT NOT LOOK, THINK, OR ACT LIKE US, BUT THEY ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THEY DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. >> WMUR NEWS 9. MIKE: IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THE PROGRAM, YOU WILL FIND MORE INFORMATION IN THE PROJECT IN UNITY SECTION OF WMUR.COM AND MOBILE APP. YOU WILL FIND GROUP OF BUSINESSES OWNED BY THE BLACK COMMUNITY. MONICA: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. FOR ALL OF US HERE AT WMUR, THANK YOU. ♪