Tracee Ellis Ross wants Black women to appreciate just how beautiful their hair really is.
After expanding her natural hair care brand Pattern earlier this summer, the actor is opening up about her own hair journey in ELLE.com’s inaugural State of Black Beauty cover story.
The 47-year-old got together with Kerry Washington over Zoom to chat for the magazine’s special edition and reflected on how society’s view of Black hair has influenced her.
“I think back to 10 years ago, I went to the Essence Music Festival and a woman was like, ‘Girl, you’re on TV. You need to get your hair done.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ She was like, ‘Put some heat on your hair! What are you doing?’,” the “Black-ish” star said.
“Growing up, we all went through this experience, where straight hair was your dressed-up hair. The blowout, silky-whatever meant you became more presentable, more appropriate. It was your dressy, sexy version of you.”
Over time, people’s perception of Black hair has slowly evolved and Ross is excited to see the narrative change.