So you’d have to have had your head under a rock not to notice the explosion of female lead actresses on network (and cable) TV. It’s been amazing to watch! And then adding the layer of natural hair representation has really made 2014 a great year in television.
Here we run down the best moments on TV that highlighted black women and their curls and, coincidentally, in their most pure, relaxed and natural state.
Viola Davis – How To Get Away With Murder
First up is the now infamous scene where Viola Davis’ character Annalise Keating literally strips away her “mask” at the end of the day. Something many women can relate to, but especially black women. What makes this scene so special is that underneath all the hair and makeup we see how vulnerable Annalise really is. An important statement to make in today’s society which makes little attempt to broaden the definition of beauty forcing even the most powerful amongst us to conform.
I pushed for that to happen. Because who Annalise is in public is a big fat lie, and we have to see her taking off the armour, which is so thick, it becomes all the more dramatic when she removes it, and you see all the pain.
Kerry Washington – Scandal
In the season 4 opening scene of television’s most scandalous show we see a rare but refreshingly relaxed Olivia Pope living it up on a secluded beach. Her curls flow effortlessly as she sips on her cocktail. Of course by the end of the episode she’s found her way back to DC (and her blow out stylist). Never-the-less, seeing the portrayal of a multi-dimensional character both emotionally and physically is quite something.
When you’re an actor, your body, mind, and soul are your tools of expression, so as you change, your toolbox changes, and how you interact with that toolbox changes.
Tracee Ellis Ross – ‘Black•ish
Tracee Ellis Ross and her famous big hair are no stranger to cable TV but this year Tracee made it on to network TV as one of the leads in Laurence Fishburne and Anthony Anderson’s show Black-ish. As the show’s title would suggest, the show explores the challenges surrounding being an upper-middle class, black family in America but it’s done is such a clever and amusing way that it doesn’t alienate anyone. We love how Tracee continues to represent naturals in a classy and vibrant way. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Tracee inspired thousands if not millions of women to go natural.
I’m very conscious of how I wear my hair on the show, and yet it’s the way I wear my hair as Tracee. You hire me, you hire my hair and you hire my ass. It’s all coming with me.
It’s also worth mentioning that not one but 2 naturals appear on TV’s biggest show The Walking Dead whose viewership numbers blow both network and cable competition out of the water. It makes perfect sense though. Ain’t nobody got time for a relaxer during a Zombie Apocalypse!
Danai Gurira – The Walking Dead
The beauty of Michonne is that she’s so unapologetically strong.
Sonequa Martin-Green – The Walking Dead
Which natural actresses have you enjoyed watching – be it on a TV network, cable or Netflix/Amazon.
