Bright pink afro in hand and with “so much fun,” she took us through her routine of combing her curls to get her desired style. “Quarantine has completely changed me, I don’t know if I would have shown you this before,” she says in the “Beauty Secrets” video. Moments later, as she shared hair products she likes to condition, the tears came. “I never had to be alone with my hair [pre-pandemic,]Graham opens up as she cries while staring directly into the camera. But finding products that worked for her hair helped her realize that “my hair will work for me,” if I don’t give up.
After the video was posted to YouTube, Graham moved on with her life – sticking to her “don’t read the comments” rule – but the feedback was so overwhelming it was hard to ignore. “It feels like every black woman can relate to this video. Especially when she broke down. It’s so much more than hair. It is identity, culture, social ‘value’. Very refreshing to see a woman with type 4 hair in Vogue,” said one woman, while another added, “Her real hair would have complemented her role in the Vampire Diaries.” I would like to see her in a role that would respect her natural self. !”
The modern Graham said: “I wasn’t quite prepared for the avalanche of reactions.” Now she has some clarity about the experience. “Black women looked at it, crying, white women looked at it, crying. It became this symbolic video of owning yourself and being transparent. And that’s what can really empower you to say, ‘Hey, listen, I’ve never been accepted for who I am, but now I have the stage and this is who I am.’ ”
The actor only went from strength to strength on her journey of self-discovery and love. “When black women talk about hair, it’s not just about her, it’s also about our identity. And there’s a famous song by James Brown that says, “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud.” But who you are is forever.”
