The Kardashians have nothing on the Ruckers. They’re just as gorgeous, stylish, trendsetting, and successful sisters as that famous West Coast clan. Like the Kardashians, this East Coast brood has also had their own reality TV show (“Love Thy Sister” on WeTV), were once married to NBA players, have stayed tight-knit and have incredible influence on social media.
Meet Ione Rucker Jamison and Dr. Ellen Rucker Sellers, the successful sisters behind Rucker Roots. The all-natural, sulfate-free line of hair care products is sold at Target, Macys.com, QVC.com, JC Penney’s salons and Kohl’s.
“We’re also launching at Belk,” mentions Ione, in her sweet down-home voice. “That’s real Southern. We grew up going to Belk. They’re out of North Carolina.”
The Ruckers actually grew up in Lancaster, S.C., where their father was the town’s first black dentist and practiced for more than 50 years. Their mother didn’t believe in putting relaxers or chemicals in their hair, so throughout their childhood in the 1980s, Mrs. Rucker would go to the family garden and press carrot and ginger root oils, snag eggs or avocados and create homemade deep conditioners for her eight kids.
Yes, eight.
In fact, Ione and Ellen grew up in a house with two other successful sisters and four boys. Ellen is two years older than Ione and they have matching southern drawls. Ione went to Spelman College in Atlanta, and later Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C., to get her Masters in Education. Ellen went to UNC Chapel Hill for undergrad and Life University for her chiropractic degree.
Now if that isn’t as Two-Sided Southern as they come? They elevated their mother’s garden-inspired hair treatments into a thriving Southern-based business sold in some of the biggest stores in the country. And while they market to Black consumers predominantly, plenty of other clients love their natural-ingredient, sulfate-free, paraben-free hair care products. Therefore, Rucker Roots has such wide-ranging appeal that they won an Allure Magazine Best of Beauty Award in 2020.
I looked up Lancaster’s last Census and found it has a population of about 9,100 in 2019. So know these successful sisters are small town at heart (hard-working and good-natured with molasses-tinged voices), but the Ruckers run in elite circles, have amazing connections and have experienced the best of what life has to offer.
Here, the siblings, mompreneurs and philanthropists tell how their accomplishments came to be in their own words.
When you were younger what did you want to be? Did you know you’d be such successful sisters?
Ellen: My dad had his own dental practice, owned his own building and was an amazing entrepreneur. I’d work there after school and summers as a kid. I thought I wanted to go into dentistry and then I started working in my dad’s office and saw how tedious it was. I’m glad I went into chiropractic. But I did get burnt out. It’s hard to fight with insurance agents.
I gave up my chiropractic practice six years ago when we launched Rucker Roots. I wanted to focus on it and make it a household brand name. We both also have three children. Oh, that third one will send you over the top!
Ione: I always wanted to be a teacher. That’s what I went to school to do. Then I realized it wasn’t for me after I had my own kids. Being an entrepreneur is in our blood. Our mother’s father, our paternal grandfather owned funeral homes. We have it on both sides. Our brother now runs funeral homes.
Where is your family now?
Ione: Everyone still lives in the South. Even our oldest brother moved from Texas back home. For instance, we’re all within a 30-45 minute radius. We’re in Charlotte, but only 30 miles away from Lancaster.
Do you have to use your Southern charm in your profession?
Ione: Our vendors always tell us that we’re a ray of sunshine. They think we’re so nice. I guess everyone else is mean. [Laughs.] It’s our accents, I think.
Ellen: Our one large distributor says, ‘It’s always so pleasant to talk to you. We don’t often like talking to manufacturers.’ [She chuckles.] We’ll take it!
What makes you Two-Sided Southern do you think?
Ione: Our mutual good friend Lauren says our slogan should be, ‘When Lancaster meets luxury.’ We’re down home no matter what though. Above all, family is the center of our world. We make our friends our family. That’s how it all merges. But we love luxury vacations, luxury getaways, luxury hotels and spas. Every now and then luxury clothing and shoes. But we can definitely go to Target and Wal-Mart! We can be both.
I think it’s a southern thing. It’s ok to be both. It’s not frowned upon.
successful sisters in the haircare industry.
Well, you’re both so fashionable, are there any southern designers you admire?
Ione: Sergio Hudson, he’s from South Carolina. He designed Michele Obama’s wine-colored outfit for the inauguration. I just love his simple, sleek, classic style. I love that he’s self-made from South Carolina and wants to make women look their best.
What are some true South Carolina food staples you love that you can only get in your home state?
Ione: My kids are going to kill me but… fat back! For instance, mustard greens you can only get really good down here. Especially at a place called The Wagon Wheel in Fort Lawn, S.C. it’s amazing! Jomars in Lancaster has the best southern food. Of course, shrimp n’ grits, fried chicken and fried okra are so yum. Fried fish sandwiches too. Johnny Boys Diner in Lancaster, S.C. or Fat Matt’s in Atlanta.
Favorite high-end, hoity toity dish: We always order a whole fish like whole snapper. For example, the ones that come with the head, tail and are usually market price. Even my kids will order it.
Favorite down home dish: The three-piece wing meal at Bojangles. We love Bojangles over here.
Favorite high-end restaurant: This new restaurant called Steak 48 in Charlotte. So good.
Favorite down home restaurant: Nana’s Soul Food in Charlotte.
Can’t miss high-end dessert: Creme brulee
Can’t miss down-home dessert: Apple pie or strawberry cobbler
Do you believe in thank you notes?
Ione: Yes. We were always taught that was the most polite way to say thank you. When my father passed away in 2019, I had to write so many thank you notes. My daughter and sons have their own stationary. I try to tell them to please write this thank you or that. But it’s this new generation. However, maybe one day it will stick. They’d rather send a text. See, we didn’t have that problem. I’ll say, ‘you have to send Auntie Lesley a thank you note.’ My daughter goes, “I already texted it.” And, I say, ‘That’s not good.’
Is “auntie” a southern thing?
I think so. Well… Is it a black thing or a Southern thing? [Laughs].
I don’t know. What are some of your other favorite Southern nicknames for family?
Baby girl. Mama. Daddy. But you have to say it ‘Deddy.’
I know one thing that is Southern: Pageants! In other words, Ione was no exception to those that were put into Southern pageants. We love this shot from Little Miss South Carolina:
Southern dish you always serve at dinner parties: Mac ‘n’ cheese. But it has to be the elbow mac ‘n’ cheese.
High-brow dish you always serve at dinner parties: Seafood or filet mignon
Favorite sports team: The Carolina Panthers
Most eccentric southern person you know:
Ione: This woman Mrs. Walter Lee Tillman. She’s my dad’s classmate and is from Lancaster, too. She’s 81 years old. She dresses very eccentric. She wears hats with everything. If the hat’s yellow, everything is yellow. From her fingernails to her purse, shoes, gloves, earrings, she is going to have it yellow. When we did “Love Thy Sister” we had her on the show. And if you see her at the post office, she’ll be dressed up like that. But it might be all blue.
She has a great southern accent. Everyone calls her Walt Lee for short. She was a teacher for 30 years and is on my board of directors for Rucker Education Scholarship Fund. Moreover, we give out scholarships to first-generation college students that went to A.R. Rucker Middle School, which is named after my paternal grandfather. He was the superintendent of black schools back during segregation. In 2001 or 2002, they named the newest middle school named after him.
What are some misconceptions you’ve encountered about people from the south?
Ione: Because of how slow our drawl is, they think we’re not as smart as people from other places. Maybe we’re slow-paced because things are slower in the south. But we have great schools. All the HBCUs are in the south. I went to Spelman in Atlanta, which was the most amazing experience of my life. So many though: UNC Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech, University of Florida where my niece is going. Wait. Do you consider Florida the south? [Laughs.]
