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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 2 November 2019
Actresses cite lack of Hollywood stylists who get black hair

By GARY GERARD HAMIL-
TON
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Tiffany
Haddish recalls leaving the
set of a big-budget movie
in tears in search of some-
one who could properly
do her hair. Lorraine Tous-
saint blithely recounts the
times her tresses have been
damaged by stylists inex-
perienced with managing
black hair. And Tia Mowry-
Hardrict recalls breaking
down on set after seeing
what was done to her locks.
"It's mind-blowing to me
that we still have to_mean-
ing black actresses_have
to fight to have black hair-
dressers on set for us. There
was one time in particular I
was doing this movie and,
my God, I was the lead.
And after this person did
my hair, I cried. I was like This combination photo shows various hairstyles worn by actress-comedian Tiffany Haddish.
'I cannot like I cannot go Associated Press
out there looking like this,'" "That's why I had short Collective" to promote ra- says 'we need more.' I want wants, Davis has been vo-
said Mowry-Hardrict, star hair," laughed the actress. cial and gender equality to be the person who's cal about her past hair
of the Netflix sitcom, "Fam- "(Maintaining) it was easy. I in filmmaking. "As African helping us achieve that." chronicles. As recently as
ily Reunion." I just don't un- think as people of color, es- Americans we have all dif- Legendary hairstylist Robert May, she said she would no
derstand why you have to pecially in the business, we ferent shapes, sizes, colors, Stevenson, who was hon- longer work with stylists who
fight to get someone to un- haven't always had people textures, and you got to be ored by 706 last year with don't respect the craft of
derstand the importance that know how to manage able to work with that. We a lifetime achievement styling black hair.
of that." our hair. Those days are dif- are always in a position to award, says it's hard for It's deeper than "just some-
From Oscar winners to stars ferent now_that's when I be able to work with what anyone to join the union, one not being able to do
on the rise, many African started." Others say the lack white people do. That's just regardless of ethnicity: "It's your hair," said DeWanda
American actresses have of Hollywood stylists able to how it's been, but it has to no joke." Wise, who starred in Net-
similar stories about hair properly manage their hair be reversed. It has to be The Emmy-winner began flix's "She's Gotta Have It"
struggles in Hollywood. In remains a problem. some respect over here his career in the 1960s when and is currently in post-pro-
an industry known for its "I can relate to that 100 and figuring out what to he says the government duction for Sony's comedy-
glamour and beauty, some percent," said Sierra Capri, do with our hair. . So we just forced Hollywood to hire drama "Fatherhood," along
say the lack of diversity be- the 20-year-old star of "On really need to add more people of color for all en- with Kevin Hart. "It's people
hind the scenes has led to My Block," Netflix's most- people to the industry." tertainment unions. He was touching this texture with a
challenging situations for binged original show of To work in a wide range of the first black male hairstyl- certain level of trepidation
women of color. 2018. Capri, who says she's entertainment areas, from ist the union accepted. and disgust."
While black hair comes in multi-racial but identifies as films to talk shows, hairstyl- Stevenson, who's styled Andrea Pezzillo, a celeb-
different textures, it is gen- black, said it's a relief when ists must be in a union. Lo- stars like Angela Bassett, rity stylist who has groomed
erally defined by its curls an actress finds a stylist who cal 706 is the union for hair- Viola Davis, Samuel L. Jack- a wide range of clients
ranging from wavy to very understands black hair. stylists in Los Angeles; Local son and Eddie Murphy, said such as Jhene Aiko, Cha-
tight coils. For years, rac- "We want to look and feel 798 is based in New York. with more opportunities for nel Iman, Jeff Bridges and
ism and segregation typi- good and we want to feel Joining a union requires a black actors, unions are Omari Hardwick, under-
cally dictated that black our best," she said. "If we license and experience on playing catch up. stands why many black
people exclusively worked feel that we have someone a production. "When I came in, we didn't actresses are wary of white
on black hair. Today, that understands us and Local 706 doesn't keep have many black actresses hair stylists.
that tradition remains as understands what we want records on the race and . I mean, Pam Grier was like "I always say this: it could
many non-black stylists, for and what we need, then ethnicity of its stylists but is one of the biggest stars," take five years to grow your
the most part, have not we're gonna feel great and aware of the frustrations Stevenson said. "But now it's hair, and it could take one
learned how to successfully we can do what we came and is trying to find solu- changed so much. There's flat iron to break it all off,"
work with African American to do." Queen Latifah said tions. Randy Sayer, the so many more black ac- said the Los Angeles-based
hair. Halle Berry exploded she encountered stylists business representative tresses. And the few black Pezzillo, who is white.
on the Hollywood scene in who didn't know what to for Local 706, hopes that hairstylists that are in (the Pezzillo says she began styl-
the early 1990s with a short, do with her hair, particular- changes in the industry do union) are working, so (the ing women of color after
pixie hairstyle that would ly early in her career. take place. Sayer says the actresses) can't seem to attending beauty school
become her signature. "It's not because their heart union has no control over get who they want. But Vi- and becoming close with
Others heavily copied the wasn't in the right place_ which stylists are hired for ola Davis can get whatever an Eritrean classmate.
style, but the Oscar-win- they just didn't have the a production, that decision she wants." They'd often braid and ex-
ner didn't set out to start skillset to do black hair," belongs to producers, stu- And while it's true that the plore each other's hair, and
a trend_it was a result of said Latifah, who recent- dios and other employers. Oscar, Tony and Emmy eventually, a black instruc-
previous experiences with ly worked with Proctor & "I agree with every woman award winner may be tor took Pezzillo under her
some Hollywood stylists. Gamble to form "The Queen of color or every actor who able to get whoever she wing.q