How did a girl from the Southside of Chicago find herself in Inglewood as a prominent nail technician?
If you ask Kim Craft, she would tell you that she has her grandmother Lula Craft to thank for that.
After being born and raised in Chicago where she attended Tilden Technical High School, Kim moved to Southern California to care for her ailing grandmother.
“She was the person who kept our family together. She always worked hard and was very independent,” Kim explained to Inglewood Today.
Lula Craft passed away in 2002 and a devastating Kim forged a new beginning in Atlanta.
It was in Atlanta that she attended the Georgia Career Institute, established in 1975 as Artistic Beauty College with an original mission to provide women and men the best education in Cosmetology.
“Growing up in Chicago on the Southside there were always Black nail technicians. That’s something we always had,” she stated.
So, naturally Kim would complete her vocation and becoming a nail technician.
“I do it to take care of people,” she added.
Over the past several years, she has earned a reputation of being one of the best nail technicians in a region where the majority of the techs are from Vietnam.
“It feels weird when someone refers to me as being one of
the few Blacks to service manicures and pedicures, because of where I’m from
we’ve always had Black techs.
However, since coronavirus pandemic has forced closure of all non-essential business, Kim has been challenged financially.
“It had me terrified! It has taken an enormous toll on me, emotionally, mentally and of course financially,” she stated.
Kim says it’s difficult to just sit around with minimal movement. She said that her job helped her mentally and physically.
“My job is very therapeutic to me.”
She says that it helps that she is a resident of Inglewood during these difficult times.
“It’s great living here. I enjoy it a lot and there are lot great things going on. I am close to any place I need to be,” Kim Craft said with a smile.
