The long history of Black hair in America took center stage at the Oscars
Will Smith smacked Chris Rock over an insensitive joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair. Many in Black hair care saw it as an unfortunate but important moment.
Will Smith has apologized for the dramatic turn of events at Sunday night's Academy Awards, in which the actor calmly marched across the Oscars stage and smacked presenter Chris Rock for a dig the comedian had taken at Jada Pinkett Smith and her shaved head.
The moment was bluntly condemned on Monday by the Academy. But the display — jarring as it was in a room of perfectly coiffed, elegantly dressed A-listers — led to what many in Black hair care saw as an unfortunate but important moment in the discussion of Black hair and what it means to protect Black women.
"Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can't wait to see you,"
