Real life girlfriends Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela Angela Davis have teamed up to executive produce the upcoming docuseries “The Hair Tales.” The series will focus on the beauty of Black women through the distinctive identity of Black hair. The series will begin production later this year for a 2022 premiere in an unprecedented partnership to simultaneously broadcast on the Oprah Winfrey Network and Hulu. Tara Duncan, Raeshem Nijhon, Carri Twigg, and Oprah Winfrey will also serve as executive producers.
“This series is about identity, culture and legacy, beauty, strength and joy. 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,” Ross told Deadline.
Ross and Davis narrate “The Hair Tales” and lead the audience through a revelatory journey of connecting the personal tales of phenomenal Black women to broader societal and historic themes. Winfrey will also share her hair testimonials as the stories told in the series offer an honest and layered look into the complex culture of Black hair and ultimately Black women’s identity, creativity, and contributions to society – all delivered with a rare mix of intelligence, humor, style, joy, and justice.
“Early in my career, when I was just 22, my boss informed me my hair was too thick for the green screen wall behind the news desk and I needed to change my style. So I was sent to a fancy salon in New York City and the stylist put a French perm on my hair. It burned so badly when he washed the perm out, my hair came out with it – and so did my identity and sense of self,” Winfrey also shared with Deadline.
“Having grown up with the cultural edict ‘your hair is your crowning glory,’ it took a while to regain confidence with my teeny weeny Afro. I learned then that our hair and how we as Black women see ourselves had deep roots,” she further commented.
Check out the teaser of “The Hair Tales” below.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKPhkZEY8gk[/embedyt]
