TUCSON, Ariz. — A local woman is making history in our community through art and beauty.
Using a nail drill, Miranda Richardson cleans off her canvas. For the past decade, she has found a passion in helping people feel beautiful through her nail art.
"All over we have nails salons, but we don’t have a place that focuses on teaching people about nails," Richardson said.
This gap in our community was something Richardson said she knew three years ago she could change.
On September 8, she'll be opening MJnailz Academy, the first nail school in Tucson and first black-owned in Arizona.
"I feel like that is something that is necessary in Arizona. I feel like we don’t have enough black owned businesses in general," Richardson said. "We are setting something on the bar to a level that it hasn’t been set before, so to be the very first and to be black-owned, I feel like many women will be like ya know that’s something I could do."
There will be ten students for the first class. The hope is to have some be homeless and vulnerable youth in Tucson.
"That is something that is needed and without it I feel like there will be a loss," Richardson said.
She is partnering with I am you 360, a local nonprofit that collects hygiene products for homeless and vulnerable youth, to create scholarships for those in need.
"I feel like a lot of young women don’t feel like they have the ability to have their own," Richardson said. "They feel like somebody has to give it to them or work for someone for so long. I don’t feel like that. I feel like I can help them achieve their goals through this school."
Richardson said she's collecting donations from local businesses for the scholarships.
