Every weekend as I’m scrolling through my feed and Insta-stalking the celebrities and influencers that I fangirl for, I come across something interesting and inspiring in the beauty space. From jaw-dropping transformations to drool-inducing hair, there’s always something that I can’t stop staring at or watching, and it instantly garners a double-tap.
When we all learned of Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley’s alopecia areata diagnosis we were supportive and empathetic, also but shocked. We often talk about Black women as the greatest hair chameleons. But in the midst of this praise we often forget to mention the most important part, which is that we’re really celebrating Black women as innovators.
When we’re going from coils to faux locs, to loose waves to silky straight bobs, we’re really just showing off our ability to rock any style and still slay, because we adapt and adjust. It’s the same when we rock a bald head too. Pressley punctuated this point on Sunday by posting a photo of herself on Twitter wearing a burgundy fedora with berry lipstick, and the smile of a woman who is no longer afraid of what her hair journey will bring.
In the tweet she writes, “Happy Sunday! Thank you for the warm welcome #alopecia nation. New year. New decade. New truths. New swag.”
An old truth is that when it comes to fashion and style, hair and makeup, Black women are often ahead of or creating the trends. Today is a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and it encourages us to think about our legacies and how we are living in our truths.
This photo of Rep. Pressley reminds us of the indescribable joy that comes from living in ones truth, and that we are still beautiful even when we don’t have the markers that we’ve been told make us so. It’s also further proof that Pressley (and Black women everywhere) looks dope whether she sports twists, braids, a wig, a brim hat, or simply nothing at all.