Tracee Ellis Ross opens up about her lifelong journey to accepting her natural hair and acknowledging the influence and responsibility she has as a Black woman in Hollywood.
‘It started as such a personal relationship with my own hair, and the feeling that I did not have the support to find what I needed. Not just in terms of products, but in terms of how I like myself, ‘Ross Ross said. ‘I was very supported in my family around my hair. But in terms of seeing all the different kinds of versions on the wallpaper of my life in the world, I did not see it. And I got confused. All the things I learned from the media were like, I would easily have breezy beautiful hair. Bouncin ‘and behavior’. My hair did not blow in the wind! All these things did not agree. ”
The actress explained that she grew up with swimming and jogging – both activities that would affect the appearance and texture of her hair in a way she could not understand, because she had not seen others who did the same experienced and also found no ways to take good care of it. “There was a void, to be seen in both ourselves in our natural, authentic beauty, and also to have products that would work for us to do our hair naturally – to wear it as it came naturally from our heads. , “she says of girls her age with natural hair.
It was then that she began looking for opportunities to make contact with the people who saw her based on natural hair and black beauty. While social media did not exist, this meant looking for places where women would be like themselves.
‘I went to an event for Curly Nikki, who was one of the original bloggers for natural hair care and there was a line of women around the block who all wore their hair naturally. It was the first time I saw the larger community. That’s what started giving me this idea. But the journey was slow, ‘said Ross. “Our beauty was not part of the standard or culture of beauty. There was no real frame to hold. ”
Almost one year from the launch of Sept. 2019 of Pattern, Ross’s brand has already launched new products and campaigns that go beyond the mission of delivering effective products for natural curls and texture. “The second part of the mission is to be an active space to celebrate Blackness and the power of Black beauty,” she said.
Even with a platform and a successful brand, Ross acknowledges that Black women like themselves are marginalized and even silenced, which means their mission to find self-acceptance has never been accomplished.
“It’s so hard. It’s a busy daily journey,” she shared. “It takes a lot of courage to plead for yourself. As a woman, and as a Black woman, pleading for yourself is actually a form of resistance. It’s how “Each of us drives the world to make sure that the real estate matches the reality of who we are and what we deserve.”
Still, Ross is hopeful for black women and black beauty. ‘There has been a real shift. … I realize that black girls have been magic forever, but once we got this term, the world could see that magic in a way that it had not been received before, ‘she said. “When we take care of ourselves and love ourselves, we are included in the process of our beauty. We must be included in, and fold in our power. ”
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