A native of Kinston, NC, Jeunesse (Jey) Hall is a graduate of North Carolina Central University
with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Administration. Jeunesse began
her professional career as Site Manager at a local non-profit in Durham, NC. Born with a unique gift for artistry and creative expression, Jeunesse has created many aesthetic pieces. Another strong passion for Jey is singing, and she enjoys singing at the request of others.
The evolution of Natural Roots by Jey began with Jeunesse’s own loc journey in 1998. During which time, people frequently inquired about her locs and asked for advice. In 2005 she
began training as a natural hair practitioner. Jey’s vision in launching Natural Roots by Jey was
to promote wholistic hair health and wellness through education and service. She has a genuine
concern for locs and natural hair. Moreover, she wanted to educate and empower her clients
about proper hair care, product selection and styling techniques. Her clients, both past and
present, often give positive testimonials as it relates to their Natural Roots by Jey experience.
Continuing her outreach, Jeunesse founded Zenzele Training Academy™(ZTA) in 2009 to
provide instruction in natural hair care from a wholistic approach. Zenzele Training Academy™
aims to prepare participants from diverse backgrounds to become professional natural hair care
specialists and hair braiders. Additionally, Jeunesse authored the ZTA curriculum, which focuses
on healthy hair techniques, professional salon practices, and client protection.
In 2009, while pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration, Jeunesse collaborated with the
North Carolina General Assembly as an advocate for natural hair practitioners. She worked
tirelessly to rephrase certain components of the Natural Hair Care Licensure/Cosmetic Art Act.
This particular House Bill required individuals providing natural hair care or hair braiding to
become licensed. During this time, Jeunesse also presented to the NC Board of Cosmetic Art
Examiners to solicit their support for natural hair care specialists in North Carolina. Among other
concerns, her presentation explained the need to change the title from hair braider to natural
hair care specialist. Because of Jeunesse’s involvement, as of 2009, the Bill and other related
literature now reads “natural hair care specialist” instead of “hair braider.”
Jeunesse understands that with her gift comes a tremendous amount of responsibility. As a
result, her future endeavor is to travel and teach other stylists what she knows about locs and
natural hair.