Building Bonds through Braiding
For Afia “Fifi” Acheampong ’26, braiding hair is more than just a business. It’s a way to create community and belonging, foster friendships, and highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion at LMU.
Born in Ghana, Acheampong immigrated with her family to Chicago as a young girl. To make money, her mom learned how to braid hair, taking Acheampong along with her to different shops. When she was 8 years old, she started helping her mom with braiding, picking up different tips and tricks from the women she worked with.
“I literally grew up in the braiding shop,” she said. “I don’t think people would truly understand this brought me and my mom closer together, and it really brought my family different opportunities.”
In fact, it was Acheampong’s mom who encouraged her to start her own hair braiding company at LMU, Braids on the Bluff, as a way to meet new people. Started when she was a first-year student and now in its third year of operation, Acheampong’s business not only provides a service that meets the unique needs of Black students, but it also creates a space for students to embrace and celebrate their natural hair and beauty, and connect with others on campus.
“What I think Braids on the Bluff is now, it’s deeper than just doing your hair,” Acheampong said. “There’s a beauty in making people feel beautiful…I feel really proud to be able to cultivate that beauty and to see someone feel beautiful after getting their hair done, and just being able to uplift them through a simple hairstyle. I feel so blessed to be able to give that to other people.”
When Acheampong isn’t braiding hair, the junior biochemistry major, who is also passionate about healthcare, hopes to continue making a positive impact in her community in other ways. She plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Systems Engineering through LMU’s 4 + 1 program, focusing on addressing healthcare disparities, particularly those affecting people of color, and is interested in the use of AI in healthcare.
“I want to research the use of AI and how it’s going to affect people of color because we already see data and research about how AI is not really inclusive,” she said. “I love AI… but it’s also a very deep and scary hole to get into. But as a Black woman, I don’t want there to be technology I don’t know about. I’d rather go into it, learn about it, and see how it can help, or fix things that wouldn’t help. I just feel like this is the generation where we take more action.”
