Gabrielle Union, Keke Palmer, Uzo Aduba, and Marsai Martin have lent their voice to the conversation about the discrimination Black people continue to face… over their hair.
The actresses were tapped for a powerful PSA to compliment Glamour‘s September cover story, which highlights the unfair and deeply offensive microaggressions women of color routinely face over their natural hairstyles in the workplace, at school, and beyond. It’s a problem that’s deeply infiltrated Hollywood and their white standards of beauty too — and the outlet couldn’t have picked a better group to speak on its behalf!
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In the three-minute video titled I’ve Been Told, the stars used their status to amplify the stories of 13 anonymous Black women across the country who’ve gone through the same experiences.
“It’s too big.” “It blocks people’s view.” “Is it real?”
Those are some of the deeply problematic statements read by the actors during the clip. At one point, Martin read one Black woman’s experience of being “mocked and ridiculed for the frizzy coils that escape my tightly wound bun” and another instance of this horrible treatment happening among young girls:
“I’ve seen children humiliated at school, getting suspended. The baby girl whose teacher cut her hair because her beads were making ‘too much noise.’ Those actions are bullying, discrimination, microaggressions and acts of racial injustice.”
Union recited another woman’s story about facing discrimination at her workplace:
“The first time I walked into the office with my natural hair, my supervisor asked if it was forever.”
Ugh. What a disgusting and ridiculous thing to say to someone. And in a professional setting, no less! The clip later highlights the fact that Black women are 1.5x more likely to be sent home from work because of their hair, and that simply is not OK.
The ladies elevated the conversation with powerful words of advice submitted for the feature, including statements like, “I am not my hair, but my hair is a part of who I am and it deserves the same respect as the person beneath it,” and another declaration which stated, “I wear my hair boldly and proudly as it is the crown that makes me unique.”
They also highlighted the CROWN Act which was first introduced in 2019, which offers protection against discrimination on race-based hairstyles. So far, seven states have passed the progressive legislation: California, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington. 7 down and only 43 more to go on something that’s long overdue.
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Guest editor Ashley Alese Edwards hit the nail on the head with her remarks on how hairstyles are deeply tied to identity:
“The relationship between Black women and their hair is unique, powerful, and extraordinary. Yet for too long, Black hair has been the subject of unwarranted scrutiny and controversy. I’m so glad Glamour recognized the importance of the issue and lent me their platform to create this package to amplify the message that our hair is beautiful, complex, professional, and not up for debate.”
Preach! We hope the KarJenners reference this the next time they try to get away with culturally appropriating hairstyles and getting praised for it like it’s no big deal. WATCH the inspiring clip for yourself here and let us know your thoughts on all of this in the comments section (below)!
[Image via Glamour/YouTube]
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