Tracee Ellis Ross recently teamed up with Hulu to launch a new docuseries journaling the complicated relationship between Black women and their hair called “The Hair Tales.”
Serving as executive producer, Ross interviews several high-profile Black women, including media mogul Oprah Winfrey, ‘Insecure’ creator Issa Rae and history-making Marsai Martin, about their individual hair journeys. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Chika, Marsai Martin and Chloe Bailey also sit down to share their stories.
For many Black women, the relationship with their hair is often rooted in internal conflict. Bombarded with longstanding tropes of European beauty standards, the road to hair love is rarely an easy one.
“I really do hope that ‘Hair Tales’ joins the chorus and expands the narrative of how we get to see ourselves, that we get to see,” Ellis Ross explained to HuffPost. “So much of our experience as Black women is told through the lens of struggle and hardship and everything that’s on our backs. And that is true, but also within our humanity is so much joy and so much beauty, and so much of it can be told through the metaphor of our hair.”
The first two episodes of “Hair Tales,” premiered Oct. 22 on Hulu, to positive reviews.
“This series is about identity, culture and legacy, beauty, strength and joy,” Ellis Ross said, via Deadline. “Hair is a portal into the souls of Black women, it drives straight to the center of who we are. Our goal is to share this vibrant community, where we hold a sacred space for each other. Like many women, I can trace my own journey to self-acceptance through my hair. This series is personal and universal, American and global. It is a love letter to Black women.”
