Talk, Touch, and Listen™

The Parent Café is a monthly gathering hosted by community hubs. The Café is open to all parents and caregivers who receive services from the hosting agency, including fathers, grandparents, and kinship caregivers.

Using humor, storytelling, and guided conversation, the Café invites parents to explore:

• The historical roots of colorism

• Harmful beauty standards such as the idea of having “good hair”

• How beliefs shaped during slavery continue to influence parenting

• Ways to support confidence, resilience, and pride in children

These sessions offer a gentle and supportive environment where parents can process sensitive topics and connect with others. The Café also introduces families to the Talk, Touch & Listen™ parent group offered at each agency.

Together, parents begin to recognize the long-term effects of historical trauma and create a new, affirming narrative for their families and communities.

Mahalah’s Wild, Twisty, Tangly Hair© is a lively and interactive musical puppet performance that helps parents and children explore emotions connected to hair-combing.

The performance supports children and families by helping them:

• Understand the feelings of a little girl who does not want her hair combed

• Recognize what it means to be “tender headed,” which refers to sensitivity of the scalp

• Talk about discomfort or emotions that arise during hair care

• See how patience, empathy, and connection can transform daily routines

In the story, Mahalah becomes overwhelmed while her mother combs her hair and runs away with her friend JoJo the clown. A friendly postman helps her name her feelings and understand why the experience feels difficult. Through music, humor, and storytelling, the show invites families to celebrate cultural identity and approach hair-combing with gentleness and understanding.

This 8-week parent group is the core of the Talk, Touch & Listen™ model. It uses a low cost, manualized curriculum that helps families strengthen their daily hair-combing routine.

Parents participate in:

• Pre and post videotaped hair-combing interactions

• Hands on activities, demonstrations, and reflection

• Short, engaging micro-lectures

The groups are facilitated by Community Hub partners, which include agency staff and community parents who complete TT&L™ Level I certification. These certified facilitators use experiential learning methods that make complex ideas practical and relatable. Sessions take place in a safe and supportive environment that encourages exploration, vulnerability, and curiosity as parents learn from one another.

Throughout the program, parents explore their family values and consider how their child’s temperament influences behavior during hair care. They set realistic goals and learn skills for managing stress, supporting emotional expression, and creating positive, peaceful routines.

By the end of the group, families often report stronger bonds, smoother hair-combing experiences, and increased confidence in their parenting skills.