The Oscars are always as much about how everyone looks as they are about the best films of the year, and last night was no different.
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For many African-American women, the most exciting and validating appearance-related part of the night was The Help actress’ Viola Davis’ auburn, short, “teeny weeny Afro.” Demetria L. Lucas gushed about it at Essence.com:
Davis’ mini-‘fro on her big night meant so much. For anyone who’s gone natural after a lifetime of frying and hiding (a.k.a. weaving/wigging), gaining the self-confidence to show it off doesn’t always come easy. She took a big step, one that reinforced to Black womankind that our natural hair isn’t something for which we should be ashamed, and it definitely isn’t something to be covered or hidden. Our hair is worthy of being embraced and celebrated every day — especially when the occasion is special.
Meanwhile, in a taped segment that aired during the broadcast, actress Gabourey Sidibe showed off her own new and natural style (or natural-ish — we’d have to talk to her stylist to figure out what exactly was behind her curly look), but she didn’t get anywhere near the same praise and enthusiasm. In fact, we picked up on quite a bit of negativity from always-brutally-honest black Twitter.
What’s that all about? Is there only so much black-hair positivity to go around? Did Sidibe get overlooked because she wasn’t on the red carpet or up for an award this year? Or did her look simply not make the cut?
Read more at Essence.com.
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