Natural Hair Reigned At The 2015 Oscars — From Solange Knowles To Zendaya To Lupita Nyong'o

I am so grateful for women like Solange Knowles and Ava DuVernay for breathing life into this year's Academy Awards. To be honest, I wasn't planning on giving the 2015 Oscars any of my attention when I saw the white-washed list of nominees. I felt my heart sink knowing that hard working people of color were getting snubbed once again for Hollywood's status quo. Plus, without disappointment, this years presentation wasn't without its awkward moments: From Chris Pine being labelled the face for Civil Rights by social media to Sean Penn's unwarranted and unnecessary micro-aggressive joke towards Alejandro González Iñárritu. The only aspect of last night's award ceremony that was truly worthy of my attention was the red carpet.

I knew in my heart that black women would not disappoint in the beauty department. Which in return calmed my inner side eye at the Oscars for broadcasting during Black History Month, while ignoring Selma and Martin Luther King's legacy (last year's broadcast was in early March). Every starlet that marched across the red carpet with hair that celebrated her culture filled me with so much pride. It reminded me that even on the red carpet, representation matters. Not every girl fits the European standard of beauty that this year's Oscars seemed to highlight. But each of these women challenged this standard, and to that I say — BRAVO!