Today we’d like to introduce you to Rita Carter.
Hi Rita, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey started in Inkster, MI where my mom and dad met. So my roots are Inkster, but I was raised in Detroit. I don’t have very vivid memories of my childhood. I just remember being somewhat a problematic kid lol. I had a little attitude on me but I was a good kid for the most part. I remember being shy because I wasn’t very confident in myself. But I know I was also very opinionated and outspoken back then because I wanted to be a lawyer.
We moved around a few times but we spent a lot of years living on the Westside of Detroit, specifically, the Cody/Rouge area. I attended Detroit Public Schools and eventually graduated from Cody High SchooI. My most vivid memories are of me in middle school and high school. I found my athletic abilities in about 4th or 5th grade. And once I got to middle school my gym teacher was able to convince me to play on the team. From there my life became all about basketball. Especially because both my parents played and I often heard stories of how good they both were. So that kind of made me love the game even more.
That’s ultimately how I got where I am today. I figured out early on that I could play basketball as a means to an end. It was something I loved, I was pretty good at it, and it could help me better myself and my life. Back then I had hopes of becoming the first girl in the NBA lol but reality sunk in at some point. But basketball landed me at Cody High School to play for Coach Charles Knott. And from there I went on to play for Kathy Morris at Adrian College.
As a student-athlete, I had some ups and downs at Adrian because things were very different for me there. There were not a lot of black students back then so my experience there gave me a different perspective. I don’t come from a rich family so financially going to a private college caused some hardships. Looking back I know those things negatively impacted my outcomes as a student. Despite the challenges, I became one of the first, if not the first, in my family to obtain a bachelors degree. My experience at Adrian pretty much introduced me to the limitless possibilities for life. And it started to make me see things differently and it reshaped my vision for my life.
After I graduated I started my coaching career and became the assistant women’s basketball coach at Adrian College. For a short time I pursued playing basketball by trying out for semi-pro teams in Michigan/Ohio. But I’ve ALWAYS had an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to be a millionaire so I quickly came to terms with playing semi-pro basketball wouldn’t get me there. So I pursued my coaching career full-time at Adrian and started exploring ways to turn my hobbies into extra incomes. I started doing locs as a side hustle and I started to explore my interest in fashion by starting my own bowtie line called Solekickinit. I also got very interested in the stock market and trading around this time.
Around this time my high school basketball coach/mentor was killed and I just didn’t have the same passion for the game anymore. KMo encouraged me to explore the other opportunities in front of me so I resigned, moved to New York, and started to pursue my interest in fashion and wall street. Detroit raised me but New York changed me into who I am now, an entrepreneur, educator, & loctician. My time in New York I served as a Program Director for a middle school and that is basically what kicked off my career as an educator. Everyday when I got off work I would take the A train to Manhattan and study, the people, the culture, the history, EVERYTHING! I started to meet more people from around the world. I gained insight and perspective from people I would’ve never come across just living in Detroit.
I remember the moment my mind completely shifted. I rode the subway everyday and saw some of the same people. This one day I remember this guy, pea coat, briefcase, always on his phone. We got off at the same stop everyday and he would walk into a parking garage. Well that day, I stopped to grab some food from a street cart. While I was waiting for my food, I saw the same guy who rode the subway with me every morning, drive out that parking garage in a Ferrari. From that moment forward I understood that life is all about perspective. Back home people laugh and clown you for taking public transportation. But in New York, you could ride public transportation with MILLIONAIRES. From then on I begin to live by PERSPECTIVE and vowed to never let my perspective be limited.
That moment birthed the woman that I am today. I never looked back and I started to dress differently, talk differently, and I started to attract more like minded individuals. I went from a mindset of thinking I knew it all, to living by, if I’m the smartest person in the room, I’m in the wrong room. Adrian College helped me realize I was living in a box of the environment I was used to in Detroit. New York helped me realize the world is full of perspective and the more I learn from different people the more successful I will become. And here I am today, a mother of a beautiful 7 year old girl named Majisty, an educator impacting education through purpose & innovation, an entrepreneur developing growing brands to help positively impact my community and legacy, and an intergenerational change agent building wealth and breaking curses for my lineage.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Is this a real question? Lol. The one thing I can say about Detroit is it breeds hustlers! There is a culture here that doesn’t allow you to accept defeat. This journey has had PLENTY of struggles and obstacles. Hell, I am the oldest child of 12 children. I grew up in a house with 8 other kids and I have 3 sisters on my Dad’s side. Growing up I saw struggle first hand. But I also grew up in church and my family taught me to work hard, have faith in god, and do right by others even if they don’t do right by me. So based on that alone, I struggled a lot.
I struggled financially, from being born into poverty and college introduced me to predatory financial services that cause obstacles in my life now. Graduating college with a degree in business trying to land a job, I faced employment discrimination and systematic obstacles that make finding a job harder for black Americans. And the stress of poverty, the stress of discrimination, the stress educational inequality, the stress of biased policing, the stress of health disparities, the stress of grief, the stress of under resourced neighborhoods, and the wealth gap in America are all obstacles that most black Americans will face. We can get into the identity crisis that I struggled with on a different day lol.
But my struggles growing up made me RESILIENT and they made me a hard worker. I knew I couldnt fail and just settle for being mediocre. I never had basic dreams. I always wanted more from life than just the same old same old that most people wanted. I wanted to be a millionaire so that I could retire my parents, take care of my siblings, and just give back to my community in every way possible. In early years of my life I remember a lot of sexism and people limiting me because I was a female. That fueled me to prove to people that I could do things boys could, equally or better. In college I experienced institutional discrimination and racism from Adrian College and the city of Adrian in general. As a black woman born in poverty in America I probably experienced every struggle you can think of.
But like many of my ancestors I fought to not become a victim to my circumstances. My parents, grandparents, Coach Knott, & KMo all taught me things that helped me get thru the hardest moments of my life. And life becomes even more challenging when you lose the people who helped shape you into who you are. But in the end, God helped me through everything by showing me I had a purpose. And even that comes with some struggle because when you are chosen by God, you have to accept that not everyone you want to take with you, can go to where you are going. So struggle, that comes with everything you do in life. The goal is to never stay down too long when you fall!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Majistic Locs is a reflection of purpose, perseverance, and pride in culture. What began as a side hustle to make extra income has grown into a passion for natural hair and a respected brand that represents much more than styling. It represents transformation! Shaped by grit, faith, and the kind of resilience this city teaches you early. I didn’t start with a blueprint or shortcuts, just a vision, working hands, and the belief that consistency would open doors before clout ever could.
In Detroit, hair is culture, expression, and survival. Majistic Locs was created to honor that and to provide intentional loc care, loc retwists, and styling that protects the hair while respecting the journey behind it. Every client who sits in my chair brings a story, and I take that seriously. Founded on the belief that locs are not just a hairstyle but a lifestyle, Majistic Locs specializes in loc maintenance, crochet method repairs, and custom styling, all while prioritizing hair health, education, and intentional care. Every client experience is approached with patience and precision, honoring each stage of the loc journey and the story behind it.
Like many hidden gems, the brand was built from the ground up, through consistency, discipline, and faith in the process. There were moments of growth, challenge, and reinvention, but the mission remained the same: to create a space where clients feel seen, affirmed, and confident in their natural beauty. I’ve seen seasons where progress felt slow, but I trusted the process. Detroit teaches you how to keep going even when nobody’s watching, and that mindset is stitched into everything Majistic Locs represents.
What sets Majistic Locs apart is its balance of skill and soul. It’s not just about how hair looks when a client leaves the chair, but how they feel! I try to make sure my clients feel empowered, aligned, and proud of the journey they’re on. Clients don’t just leave styled; they leave affirmed. My goal has always been to create a space where people feel seen, confident, and proud of their natural hair journey. The brand has quietly become a trusted name in the community, known for its authenticity, integrity, and results.
Majistic Locs embodies resilience and elevation. It stands as proof that when you build with intention and stay rooted in who you are, growth will follow. I got it out the mud and made it Majistic!!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can work with Majistic Locs by booking services, referring friends and family, and supporting the brand through word-of-mouth and social media. I’m always open to collaborations with local creatives, photographers, wellness professionals, schools, investors, and community organizations who value natural hair care, education, and empowerment.
Support can also look like attending events, sharing my work, leaving reviews, and investing in services that uplift both the client and the community. Majistic Locs is more than hair, it’s about community, confidence, culture, and care, and every form of support helps grow that mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.majisticlocs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/majisticlocs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/majisticlocs
