
Keke Palmer just graced the cover of Cosmopolitan with her natural hair and it's the best thing you'll see all damn day.
In an interview accompanied by a series of TWA appreciation photos that will give you your entire life, the TV host opened up about managing her mental health, her rising voice as an activist, and the viral moment where she stood eye-to-eye with a National Guard and boldly reminded them that their silence was complicity. She explained:
"So, we're marching, doing a call-and-response, and we get to this point where we're not able to cross because the National Guard is being told to protect the nearby buildings. To me, it's just such a slap in the face. We're the ones that need to be protected, not the damn buildings! The buildings can be rebuilt."
After pleading with one of the soldiers, who refused to join the march but eventually took a knee in solidarity, Keke had this to say:
"I thought it wasn't enough. George Floyd died because somebody kneeled on his neck. I'm not looking for you to kneel. I'm not looking for a moment. I'm looking for us to stand together. If now isn't the time to do it, then when is? Because there was a time when standing up to the slave master seemed crazy as hell too."
While Keke may be new the activism game, she's true to it. The 26-year-old star explained that while she's never seen herself as a politician, she's dedicated to using her platform to let the world know that Black lives really matter.
"I'm an entertainer. I was taught at a very young age that because I'm Black, that's not enough. I can't just entertain without thinking about what it means to my community. I know I have a platform, but at the end of the day, I'm not the political person that lives and breathes this day in, day out or an activist that lives and breathes this day in, day out. I don't have all the answers, I just speak to what I believe in. Let's speak our voice. Let's not let up."
As Keke subtly but surely evolves into the millennial civil rights leader we didn't know we needed, she is consistently serving us all of the looks and we are here for it.
Scroll below for 9 times the Strahan, Sara, & Keke star proved that she is the ultimate hair chameleon.
Featured image via Parisa Michelle / Shutterstock.com
Sleek & Heat-Proof: Straightened Hair, The Summer It List Way
This article is in partnership with SheaMoisture.
The world may try to convince you that straight hair is a no-go for the summer heat, but if you’re an It Girl, defying the odds is embedded in your DNA.
When it comes to achieving sleek strands for the summer, xoNecole and SheaMoisture have your blueprint for smooth, frizz-free, humidity and heat-damage-resistant hair throughout this season!
From hair styling oils to bond repairing products, and strengthening shampoo and conditioner, SheaMoisture offers a range of products that help you achieve the perfect silk press without worrying about the heat damage, thanks to formulas that moisturize, reduce breakage, and more.
We want your silk press to stay pressed, not stressed, so here’s our quick, three-step guide featuring SheaMoisture products from our xoNecole Summer It List for straightened hair all summer long.
Step 1: Keep Your Hair Strong
Like everything in life, if the foundation is rocky, things won’t last, and the sentiment remains when it comes to your hair.
SheaMoisture’s Hair Styling Oils are a must-have when preparing and protecting your strands before getting them pressed. The Bond Repair Oil is perfect reinforcement that your hair needs from within to prevent breakage and dryness when using heat-forward tools to achieve your look.
Protecting the hair before adding heat with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Leave-In helps guard against styling damage. The product also ensures hair bonds are repaired and essential proteins are replenished, resulting in less breakage. It also provides a boost of hydration and 24-hour control against frizz.

Courtesy of SheaMoisture
Step 2: Seal The Deal With Some Shine
Whether you’re preparing to attend a summer wedding or hitting a rooftop with your girlfriends, finishing the look with SheaMoisture’s Manuka Honey & Yogurt Lightweight Oil serves you and your hair right by adding luster, locking in moisture, and taming flyaways.
Step 3: Repair Your Hair Following The Heat
Before jumping into your next style, a moisturizing cleanse is a great repair duo to put the life back into your hair after a silk press.
The SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Shampoo and Conditioner offers damage-repairing benefits that will have your hair thanking you. It restores, nourishes, and strengthens hair, eases detangling, and brings damaged hair back to life with shine and movement, while most importantly, restoring moisture.
Who said that straight hair was off the table during the summer heat wave? With SheaMoisture and a plan, you’ll hit the scene like the It Girl you are for every summer festivity.
Consider your It Girl era unlocked. Shop all of our beauty and lifestyle must-haves on The It List.
Featured image courtesy of SheaMoisture
Jay Hill On Self-Control, Modern Dating, & Co-Parenting
Podcaster and media personality Jay Hill opened up about the lessons learned growing up in Baltimore and navigating the complexities of manhood, relationships, and emotional growth in a reflective conversation with xoMAN host Kiara Walker.
He explained that his environment taught him early lessons about survival and reputation:
“You learn that if you don’t play by the rules, you end up being a person they tell stories about.”
Central to his message is the importance of self-control, which Jay believes is an important aspect of true manhood. “I think that’s the biggest area of manhood that most of us lack and that we all need to grasp early. Even when I was younger, thinking I was a man, like fighting and stuff… Imagine if I was fighting to stay in school. Imagine if I was fighting to graduate.” He shared that he recognized that understanding what you fight for matters.
Jay also got into his experiences with marriage, infidelity, and co-parenting, emphasizing the role of therapy and accountability in healing. He discussed modern dating and what he values in a partner.
For Jay, it’s someone who commands respect and holds her man to high standards—“being a great mom, respecting your own boundaries, being a source of admiration, and requiring him to meet your standards.”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube









