The Craft
Decades of mastering Afro natural hair — technique, ritual, and respect passed from one generation to the next.
A Memoir · New Release
From Behind
The Chair
My Love Affair with Afro Natural Hair
A lifetime in the craft, told by a pioneer of the natural haircare movement. Stories of identity, culture, and the conversations that change lives — one cut, one client, one chair at a time.
By The Esteemed Baba Ari Shena.k.a. Allen Biggers
About the Book
This isn't just about hair.
It's about identity. It's about culture.
It's about the stories that live in every chair.
From early mornings in the shop to life-changing conversations between cuts, From Behind The Chair pulls you into a world most people see — but few truly understand.
This is where confidence is rebuilt. Where pain gets talked through. Where transformation happens — inside and out.
Because behind every chair… there's a story.
Inside the Pages
Memoir, manifesto, and master class — woven together from a lifetime behind the chair.
The Culture
How the barber's chair became a sanctuary for Black identity, healing, and unfiltered conversation.
The Movement
A first-hand account of the rise of the natural haircare movement and the pioneers who built it.
The Author
The Esteemed Baba Ari Shen
a.k.a. Allen Biggers
A pioneer of the natural haircare industry, Baba Ari Shen has spent a lifetime shaping the craft, the community, and the culture that grew around it.
He built his work on a single belief: that the chair is sacred — a place where identity is honored, stories are heard, and transformation begins long before the first cut.
From Behind The Chair is his testimony to the people, the work, and the love affair with Afro natural hair that defined his life.
Early Praise
"A love letter to the craft, the culture, and the chair where so much of our lives are shaped."
"Reads like a sermon and a memoir at once. You feel every cut, every conversation."
"A historical record of the natural haircare movement told by one of its true pioneers."
Get Your Copy
The best way to support this work is to order a signed copy directly from Baba Ari Shen. Also available at major retailers.
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Signed Hardback
Direct from the Author
Personally signed by Baba Ari Shen. Ships directly from the author. Limited availability — each copy is inscribed with gratitude.
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Details
- Format: Hardback, 8" × 11"
- ISBN: 978-1-963842-00-1
- Pages: ~280
- Language: English
- Publisher: Independently Published
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