Meet The Black Women Hair Team Who Made Oscar History
Remember in 2015 when #OscarsSoWhite was trending? Well, while there are still strides to be made, last night's (April 25) show was a breath of fresh air for the POC community in the non-actor categories. We specifically want to shout out hairstylists Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson who made history at the 93rd Academy Awards. The duo became the first Black women to win the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category for their work on Netflix'sMa Rainey's Black Bottom (alongside makeup artist Sergio Lopez-Rivera). The film stars Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman, but last night the ladies were the stars on stage accepting the award with a speech that recognized their ancestors and the other underserved female groups.
#Oscars Moment: Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, and Jamika Wilson win for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (@MaRaineyFilm). pic.twitter.com/K2BrYmsC7a
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) April 26, 2021
"I want to say thank you to our ancestors who put the work in, were denied, but never gave up," Neal said in a now-epic acceptance speech.
"I also stand here, as Jamika and I break this glass ceiling, with so much excitement for the future, because I can picture Black trans women standing up here. And Asian sisters. And our Latina sisters. And Indigenous women. And I know that one day, it won't be unusual or groundbreaking, it will just be normal."
Before their glass-ceiling-shattering win, they first gained buzz during nominations because, you guessed it, they were the first Black women to ever be nominated in the category as well. Viola was instrumental in making sure that the essence of the real-life Ma Rainey—dubbed the "Mother of the Blues"—wasn't lost.
"She wanted someone who could style her hair and handle it," Wilson told NPR. "African-Americans are familiar with both types of hair, y'know? We just don't do one texture of hair. We can do it all. And by actors now speaking up and saying that they want someone who can handle their hair, they have to bring an African-American hairstylist because there's not very many Caucasian hairstylists that feel comfortable doing African-American hair."
Below are fun facts from the magic behind Viola's hairstyling on-set and the careers of the ladies responsible for that magic.
Hair Extraordinaire
This is not Mia Neal's first time at the hair rodeo. Before she was Ma Rainey's hair department head, Neal was known for her work on The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and Uncut Gems (2019). Plus, she already had an Emmy nomination under her belt for Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series - 2019. She's also been widely recognized before having received a BAFTA Award for Best Makeup & Hair in 2018, which she's up for again this year for her work in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Viola’s Go-To Girl
Jamika Wilson goes way back with Davis. As Viola Davis's personal hairstylist, Wilson has countless magazine covers under her belt. The two first collaborated in 2008 during press for Doubt. She later became hair department head for How to Get Away With Murder. She's currently prepping for Davis's new role as Michelle Obama in Showtime's upcoming anthology drama The First Lady. She also worked on other celebrity tresses like those of Orange Is the New Black actress Uzo Aduba.
Wigging Out
Neal created over 100 wigs for the film, including two worn by Davis. One of these was a custom-made wig she crafted with European-imported horsehair. The story behind the process that took the actual horsehair strands to Hollywood-level hair perfection is all too real.
First, the bundles had to be rid of inactive lice eggs and manure. She explained in an interview with Vulture, that in order to not lose control of the hair, she had to build the wig before she cleaned it. Neal used a single-strand ventilation method to manipulate the thick horsehair and each time she pulled a strand through, manure and lice eggs were scraped off. Upon completion, she boiled and cleaned it noting that the smell never went away. During the boiling process, the ladies realized the hot water did more than cleanse the hair, it set the style similar to how a modern-day synthetic wig can be manipulated.
"When she passed the wig along to me, we discovered that it really holds its curl," says Wilson. "It also gives the feeling of kinky, textured hair. It was very bendable, so sometimes when there were touch-ups to do, you take your finger and roll the hair around your finger and set a curl there."
You're probably asking yourself why all this trouble? Realism. Raise your hand if you're copping horse bundles.
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Featured image via Jamika Wilson/Instagram
Jazmine A. Ortiz is a creative born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn and currently living in Staten Island, NY. She started in the entertainment industry in 2012 and now works as a Lifestyle Editor where she explores everything from mental health to vegan foodie trends. For more on what she's doing in the digital space follow her on Instagram at @liddle_bitt.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Megan Thee Stallion Shares Her Transformative Approach To Health And Wellness
Megan Thee Stallion is back and better than ever — both physically and mentally.
ForWomen’s Health May/June 2024 cover, the 29-year-old rapper bared all, opening up about her healing journey following the aftermath of the July 2020 shooting incident by rapper Tory Lanez.
“A lot of people didn’t treat me like I was human for a long time,” she told the publication. “I feel like everybody was always used to me being the fun and happy party girl. I watched people build me up, tear me down, and be confused about their expectations of me.”
She continued, “As a Black woman, as a darker Black woman, I also feel like people expect me to take the punches, take the beating, take the lashings, and handle it with grace. But I’m human.”
While the “Savage” artist exudes confidence through her stage presence and boisterous lyrics, behind the scenes, Megan was experiencing a silent battle with her mental health. “Before I went onstage, I would be crying half the time because I didn’t want to [perform], but I also didn’t want to upset my fans,” she says.
With pressures from the outside world piling up, Megan experienced “dark times,” that caused her to isolate from the public eye.
“I didn’t want to get [out] from under the covers,” she recalls. “I stayed in my room. I would not turn the lights on. I had blackout curtains. I didn’t want to see the sun. I knew I wasn’t myself. It took me a while to acknowledge that I was depressed. But once I started talking to a therapist, I was able to be truthful with myself.”
The “Wanna Be” rapper also details her current workout slip and diet that work hand in hand, giving her the mental clarity and stamina to perform at her highest level. For four to five days a week, Megan is locked in with one of her two trainers, Emory “Joc” Bernard and Tim Boutte, doing a variety of workouts like Pilates, running up and down sand hills at the beach, or hitting the StairMaster or elliptical for upwards of 40 minutes.
Best known for her “Megan knees,” leg day is a must — with hip thrusts, goblet squats, leg extensions, and “stallion kicks,” being included in her circuits.
With a combination of therapy, stepping away from imbalanced relationships, and daily movement, the Houston Hottie has since been able to reconnect with herself on a deeper level; putting her happiness before the opinions of others. “Working on myself made me get into working out because I needed to focus my energy somewhere else,” she shares. “I used working out to escape and to get happy.”
“I’m in a space where I feel good mentally, so I want to look as good as I feel.”
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Featured image by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images