This Denver hairstylist was the first and only black woman at her all-white school. Now she’s one of the best in the industry

Polly Sanders-Peterson looks back on discrimination she faced as an African-American hairdresser and what she did to change things

When you call Polly & Co. at Sola Salon Studios to request an appointment, you might get the answering machine. The cheerful voice of Polly Ann Sanders-Peterson confirms you’ve reached her, asks you to leave a detailed message and then adds, “Remember, you’re awesome. And I’ll take care of you soon.”

The friendly voice and supportive message sum up Polly.

“Polly has this loving personality. She listens well. She’s excellent at what she does. She becomes your friend and your confidant,” said Debbie Jackson, a longtime client of the hairdresser.

Jackson has been coming to Polly for cuts and styling for about 35 years — her husband, even longer.

“I follow her everywhere she goes. I truly believe she’s one of the best stylists anywhere,” she said.

Polly, 73, is a familiar name and face among Denver’s hairdressers. She enrolled in beauty school when she was 19 and has a long list of accomplishments to back her more than 50-year career. She’s owned four salons, served as president for a Colorado hairdressers association, played a key role in industry changes and has received a number of distinguished honors, including Coveted Hairdresser of the Year, top 10 Best Hair Salons on Denver’s A-List and, most recently, she was named among the 2018 Faces of Sola.

Polly, dressed in bright colors, sharing a warm smile and armed with easy conversation, welcomes clients to her salon like guests to her home.

Without a doubt, she knew hairdressing was what she was meant to do, Polly said. But her career didn’t come without obstacles, and early on, one of the biggest was her skin color.

When she started classes at Denver’s Hollywood Beauty College in 1964, Polly was the first and only black woman at the all-white school. Her first client there was a white woman who left, rather than let a woman of color work on her hair.

“The manager of the school taught me then, ‘Polly, don’t let people determine your worth,’” she said. “And he told (the client), ‘If you don’t get your hair done by Polly, then you won’t get it done.’ So she left.”

It was discouraging, Polly said, and she knew her path would continue to be difficult. After graduating, Polly couldn’t find a salon willing to hire a black woman.

“In the early part of my career, because of me being the first African-American (in the area) to get into working in white salons, it was difficult to establish trust with my clients because they weren’t used to someone of color,” Polly said.

Even though she was trained to work with white women’s hair, owners of “white salons” refused to …

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