Actors call for more black hairstylists in Hollywood

Black actors are calling on Hollywood to hire more hairstylists who know how to work with Afro-Caribbean hair.

Stars including Gabrielle Union – who is best known for her role in the movie Bring It On – have been sharing their experiences of turning up to production sets to find the hairstylists are not capable of working with Afro hair.

Union urged fellow actors to speak up if they found themselves in this position, tweeting: “If you stay quiet, you will have bald spots, hair damage, look nuts.”

The America’s Got Talent judge explained on Twitter that in order to work on Hollywood productions, hairstylists and make-up artists need to be members of a particular union – which she says is “extremely difficult” and “expensive” to join.

 

 

In a tweet liked more than 16,000 times, actress and TV host Yvette Nicole Brown explained that to avoid issues she often arrives on set with her hair already done, while others will bring their own wigs with them.

She added that there are also issues when it comes to make-up, with many stars taking their own foundation as some make-up artists do not have a shade to match their skin.

 

Most black actresses come to a new set w/ their hair done (me) or bring their wigs & clip-ins w/them. It’s either that or take a chance that you will look crazy on screen. Many of us also bring our own foundation. One too many times seeing no shade that matches you will learn ya! https://t.co/mGAzpuoKtb

— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) March 11, 2019

Fans have suggested that by taking these steps, black actors are having to pay for a service which other cast members receive for free.

A number of black actors have since called for more diverse make-up artists and hairstylists to be accepted into the union to stop these issues from occurring.

The discussion also struck a chord with London-based make-up artist Dorita Nissen who said there is “no excuse” for a professional not to be able to mix the right foundation shade for any skin tone.

 

I have this conversation so often with black models & actresses & 9 out of 10 times they bring their own makeup along to set,I would personally as a professional MUA
be embarrassed if I didn’t have or couldn’t mix the right shade for all skintones & in this day & age🤷‍♀️no excuse !

— Dorita Nissen (@DoritaNissen) March 12, 2019

The issue was first highlighted by model Olivia Anakwe who shared on Instagram that she arrived at a fashion show to find “not one person” was able to do her hair.

“After one lady attempted and pulled my edges relentlessly, I stood up to find a model who could possibly do it,” she said.

show.

 

View this post on Instagram

This message is to spread awareness & hopefully reach anyone in the hair field to expand their range of skills. Black models are still asking for just one hairstylist on every team no matter where your team is from to care for afro hair. I was asked to get out of an empty chair followed by having hairstylists blatantly turning their backs to me when I would walk up to them, to get my hair done. If I am asked to wear my natural hair to a show, the team should prepare the style just as they practice the look and demo for non-afro hair. I arrived backstage where they planned to do cornrows, but not one person on the team knew how to do them without admitting so. After one lady attempted and pulled my edges relentlessly, I stood up to find a model who could possibly do it. After asking two models and then the lead/only nail stylist, she was then taken away from her job to do my hair. This is not okay. This will never be okay. This needs to change. No matter how small your team is, make sure you have one person that is competent at doing afro texture hair care OR just hire a black hairstylist! Black hairstylists are required to know how to do everyone’s hair, why does the same not apply to others? It does not matter if you don’t specialize in afro hair, as a continuous learner in your field you should be open to what you have yet to accomplish; take a class. I was ignored, I was forgotten, and I felt that. Unfortunately I’m not alone, black models with afro texture hair continuously face these similar unfair and disheartening circumstances. It’s 2019, it’s time to do better. || #NaturalHair #ModelsofColor #BlackHairCare #HairCare #Message #Hair #Hairstyling #Backstage #BTS #AfroTexturedHair #Afro #POC #Braids #Message #Spreadtheword #Speak #Awareness #Growth #WorkingTogether #BlackGirlMagic #Melanin

A post shared by Olivia Anakwe (@olivia_anakwe) on Mar 7, 2019 at 9:07am PST

Ms Anakwe explained it was the nail stylist who ended up doing her hair for the show.

“This is not okay. This will never be okay. This needs to change,” the model wrote on Instagram.

She added that black hairstylists are required to know how to do everyone’s hair and questioned why the same did not apply to others.

Signing off her post Ms Anakwe said: “I was ignored, I was forgotten… it’s 2019, it’s time to do better.”

BBC News