Today we’d like to introduce you to Semajae Brown.
Semajae, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story begins in South Central LA, I grew up in a household with my mother who was single but my father has always been present. Growing up, I dealt with a lot of depression, molestation, death, love, prejudice, and fearlessness. So I guess you could say I had the best of both worlds. I was one of those kids you couldn’t tell a thing, I always knew there was something different about me and I held onto that for dear life. I always felt a sense that I wasn’t “from here” meaning earth. A lot of the people that I would come in to contact with would agree, they would say she is a lot to handle or a bit much but she is “gifted” she has an inner light that radiates from her.
The turning point in my life was when I was about 11 years old, I began attending Henry Clay Middle School for 6th grade. I used to say this was the best and worst time of my life, a period of renewal a period of finding out who I really was. During my time at Henry Clay I unknowingly made a lot of enemies, and a lot of memories that I would remember forever because I was so sheltered growing up this was a time where I had no idea what I was in for. During that school year, I got into at least ten fights and altercations with different people. People who I thought were my friends, bullies, and people who were envious of how I carried myself. I didn’t pay anyone any mind, I never tried to make friends I came to school and I was always to myself and for myself and a lot of people didn’t like that.
There was even a point when there was a school riot coming after me and I was placed in protective custody meaning I couldn’t participate in normal lunch periods, couldn’t go to class and be taught like a regular student, or walk common grounds alone. This meant that I was a target, can you imagine being 11 and longing for true friendships and experiences and not being able to grab hold on them because of how others felt about themselves? The way I was raised you kill people with kindness but where I grew up at this was looked at as saditty, or bourgeoisie, and people attacked you for that. So it was a constant battle for me always having to look over my shoulder, always questioning my own safety, and most times scared for my life, these people were broken and would do anything to bring me to their level on top of my own things I had going on.
At this point in my life both of my parents were working full-time jobs, and I didn’t attend school with any of my siblings, and the one cousin I did have at school didn’t want people to know we were related so I was always alone, at school and walking home. I grew up feeling like I was the only one who believed in me. I was literally forced to live in my sister shadow who had a child and got into drugs at a young age. Which forced everyone to believe I would be just like her because I was the only other girl, of 4 siblings, 2 of which were already older and had moved out by this time.
When I turned 12 years old, my mom enrolled me in new school which didn’t last for long because now I wasn’t dealing with students terrorizing me it was teachers. I’ll admit I was a pretty defiant student but I was smart as hell and I knew how I deserved to be treated and taught but half of these teachers in public and charter schools didn’t give half a damn about us. As they would say ” I’m gone get paid anyways” This led to me ditching most of my classes except two. These two teachers by the name of Iran Walton and Shawn Jackson, were the true turning point in my life, Mr. Walton would literally take the time in our class to apply social studies to real-life situations by comparing our lives and his and even though me and him bumped heads a lot because I would fall asleep in class or talk too much, but he knew, we could relate.
Mr. Jackson was a whole nother story, he literally saw the light in my heart and eyes… He saw me the real me and he believed in who I was and gave me a chance. After a few months of attending this school Mr. Jackson took me under his wing, he worked for a boys and girls club in Compton on 120th and central, he started a program there that was sponsored by the Black Eyed peas and through his connections in the music industry as a musical engineer, he gave me a chance to audition and what do you know. I got in! I was given a scholarship for the next two years and there my true rebirth began.
Shortly after being accepted in this program name Black Eyed Peas Pea-pod Music and Arts Academy, I started honing in on many of my favorite things, like singing, poetry performances, making friends, traveling, meeting famous people, going behind the scenes of my favorite TV shows, and more. I can not tell you how much being exposed to these things and people literally change my spirit. At that point I knew it was possible, I performed in big bear FOR FREE, went to movie premieres all across California, and got to meet plenty of new friends and people who I am still connected to until this very day. We participated in writing workshops, learned the basic of using Garage Band musical software, piano, vocal lessons, and were give a place to get away from everyday life in South Central LA.
Not too long after Pea-pod was over I lost one of my favorite cousins who I had not seen in over ten years because of family turmoil, to gun violence, I had to attend a funeral and literally see a bullet hole in my cousins face. I quickly spiraled into a depression, all of my repressed memories began to funnel in and being who I was then my brain literally could not function. I started remember the horrible ass whooping’s i would receive, how I was raped by one of my cousins, the man I had to watch bleed out at the age of eight, a family friend who died that I was really close to, family who stole from me, and every other bad memory my heart could imagine. Around the same time, my sister was diagnosed with HIV and we found out she was addicted to meth shortly after. During this time, my mom developed cancer in the lymph nodes and had to take custody of 3 of my sister’s kids. Which left me to take care of my mom and my sister’s kids. Not long after gaining custody of my sister’s kids my mom was in a really bad car accident and was laid off her job and I went to homeschooling.
During my time at homeschooling which is where I stayed from 7th-12th grade, it was not easy, but it was honestly the best decision I ever made in my life. Some of my best experiences in life were at this school. The school was called Opportunities For Learning. I met a teacher named Deanna Martinez who was nothing short of an angel on earth. She taught me to believe in myself, she encouraged me to get a therapist and school counselor which were all on sight and told me that I needed to heal. She got me into to various programs and extracurricular activities at the school which included the, Get Lit Poetry Program, Girls Talk, Success principles, 5k runs, college tours, cabin trips, and free all expenses paid flight to San Francisco Black Bird Farm mentoring program, Art classes which got my artwork featured in a student gallery, and community service events where I could learn about the people and community I was living near, and tutoring because I struggled in math. I literally went from a “D” and “F” student to a straight “A” student.
During this time is when I developed my ideas of starting my own business for braiding hair, losing weight, and making new friends. I made a friend named Nyckolette Thompson, who is my best friend until this day. Nyckolette and I met when we were 14 years old, we began our weight loss, health, hair growth journey and spiritual journey together. We would travel all across LA, study together, participate in the 5k runs and college tours together, teach each other new things about doing our own hair and others, and start our businesses together. That growth has stuck with me and carried me to where I am now.
My story goes to show that no matter what you go to if you can be exposed to better things, and make new friends you can recreate yourself and your surroundings. That brings me to where I am now a public figure in LA with my own businesses and foundation being built for the community. I now have a community organization that I started about six months ago with my friend Itzel Hernandez called Providing Platforms LA, we now provide events, workshops, and promotion for other communities, under-served peoples, entrepreneurs, and creatives. I myself model, sing, dance, do photography, run my own hair business (@hairbysemajae on Instagram), plan events through my organization, write poetry, act, spread love and awareness actively through the community, and attend other peoples events and promote to show support. I love kids and I love those who love, to love, and even those who don’t. I believe that LOVE IS THE LAW and that the world suffers from a lack of it.
I hope that my story inspires those across the world. Before I die, I plan to learn as much as I can, visit every single state and continent, and change each heart and mind “two ears and two eyes at a time.” My dad and my mom have been one of my biggest supporters along the way. My father started his own business at 13, and my mom has always encouraged me to love and be who I am without them and the people who impacted me along the way, I would not be who I am. In acknowledging myself it would not have been right to acknowledge those who were there along the way.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My road wasn’t so smooth there were definitely some bumps in the road most definitely my struggle with depression. During the time of my depression I dealt with anorexia, bulimia, family death & murders, cutting myself, suicide attempts, isolation, relationships that ended badly, rocky relationships with my family, dealing with my sisters drug abuse, my moms cancer, and my dad almost losing our family home, coming out about being molested as a child, and living under one roof with 6-7 family members in a two-bedroom home.
Recently in 2019, I was in a really bad car accident which left my hand broken, unable to do hair, I developed my skin and hair products to maintain cash flow and relevance in the meantime. Since I am currently only self-employed.
Semajae’s Beauty Boutique (or) Providing Platforms LA – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My businesses are Providing Platforms LA, a community forum, and Semajae’s Beauty Boutique, which encompasses everything I do as a stylist. I do braids, weaves, nails, facials, ear piercings, waxing, photography, model, event planning, and I make hair products, etc. I am most known for my community involvement, modeling, and braiding. I am most proud of the love and inspiration that I spread to the people I meet everyday and my clients.
What sets me apart is that I chose to allow myself to feel, I spread love to EVERYONE no matter what that means, and I don’t do it for the money. Of course I have to make a living but for me it is about creating an impact that will last far beyond my years, even when I am dead and gone. LOVE IS THE LAW.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me personally just means touching one heart a day. If I can fix my corner of the universe there will be more love left behind. Teaching people how to heal, feel, love, live naturally and making a comfortable life along the way for me is success. I look out for those who don’t smile and make it my motive to share a glance and a smile with them maybe even a quick greetings, acknowledging their existence. I remember being so depressed, I would go out and tell myself that if at least one person smiled at me I would live another day. So I made it my personal job to smile at everyone I see and speak to everyone even if its a bum on the streets.
Pricing:
- MY hair prices range anywhere from 25-400$
- MY photography ranges anywhere from 10-1,000$
- MY events range anywhere from 10$ entry – 150$ vendor fees.
- I also host sip and paints as the instructor starting at 15$ an hour.
- MY hair and skin products range from 5-30$
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/providingplatformsLA/
- Phone: 3235349357
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hairbysemajae/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/semajaesbeautyboutique/
Image Credit:
The photo of me in red with long weave is Jenny Desrosiers @Jenny__desrosiers on instagram. The photo of me and my dad, and the photo of me singing, is Majesty Rose @Majesty_rose or @visualsbymajesty on instagram. All other photo credits go to me @hairbysemajae #photosbysemajae on instagram.
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