Lion’s Mane to Reopen

As of the start of the Fall 2025 semester, The Lion’s Mane, a local beauty supply store run by Langston alumni, has not been open for business. The Lions Mane opened in September of 2021 and aimed to provide Langston students with easy access to beauty supply products they once had to travel to Oklahoma City to find. Despite initial success and steady growth, the business faced challenges due to limited resources and inexperience.

Peyton Walter, a 2024 graduate of Langston University and co-founder of The Lions Mane, shifted from a chemistry major on a pre-med track to entrepreneurship. “Being at Langston was the first time I was introduced to entrepreneurship and what it can do for the black community.”

With her mom being an alumna, she had been to Langston before becoming a student on multiple occasions, but it wasn’t until she was enrolled that she really experienced what campus life was like. She said her proudest achievement was knowing “generations of Langston students never had to deal with that struggle of going all the way to Oklahoma City for beauty supply products.”

“It was not supposed to close down,” Walter said. “I left as a partner. My co-founder should be running it…that wasn’t my intention when I left.” When she announced her departure on Instagram, the community responded with overwhelming encouragement and love towards her. The farewell post drew over 20,000 views and countless messages of support for her. “Owning a business changed my entire life,” she said. “It taught me confidence, purpose, and trusting God.”

Jahari Johnson, co-founder of the Lion’s Mane beauty supply store and a graduate of Langston University, described the business as being inspired by “the idea of sovereignty, the ability to uphold one’s own self,” with a focus on serving the black community at Langston. Among his proudest moments are the events hosted at the Lion’s Mane. “The first time we opened our doors is probably my proudest moment,” he said. Adding that community gatherings gave him pride.

The store had its fair share of obstacles, but it is not shutting down permenantly, Johnson explained. “We’ve just kind of been going through a lot of changes…management’s changed…and a few technical difficulties within the building slowed things down.”

Some of the challenges that they faced came from being young and not having a manual on what a business owner should and should not do. “We were learning as we were going,” Walter said. Johnson emphasized, “having so many ideas at once and only so many resources to pursue them.”

Joseph Dickson, a senior broadcast journalism major, first heard about the Lion’s Mane during his sophomore year from Walker herself because she was the Scholars Club President. He got to know more about the beauty supply during his junior year. He explained that he developed a mentorship with Peyton over the years. “That’s my mentor. I go to Peyton for everything,” Dickson said.

Upon hearing about Peyton’s departure, Dickson felt mixed emotions of shock and sadness. “I grew real close with her; it was like a safe space in the Lion’s Mane. I would go there, greet customers, do homework.” Dickson emphasizes the emotional significance of the Lions Mane as a safe space for community members to relax and seek advice.

I have personally been affected by the Lion’s Mane being closed because I braid hair on campus, and I don’t have a car of my own. Luckily, I saved some hair gel over the break, but I was hoping that the Lion’s Mane would be back open before I ran out. When I need last-minute supplies, I know that the Lion’s Mane is within walking distance. Although Lion’s Mane doesn’t have every beauty supply product, it’s important to keep in mind that they are a smaller business compared to beauty supply stores in Oklahoma City or Edmond.

Looking forward, Johnson hopes to open more businesses in Langston, ideally with students, and to continue pouring into the community.

Walter said she is taking a break from entrepreneurship to focus on herself, but she expects to return. “In the future, yes, I would like to own my own business again,” she said.