Tracee Ellis Ross is getting real about societal pressures.
The 48-year-old actress graced the cover of Marie Claire and opened up about her relationship with her hair, admitting that she often attempted to “beat my hair into submission.”
“Learning to love my hair in a world that doesn’t mirror that celebration has been a form of both resistance and the claiming of my identity, my selfhood, my legacy, my ancestral lines, the history that I come from,” Ross explained.
Now, Ross is the founder and CEO of hair company Pattern Beauty, which caters to curly, coily, and textured hair, and was recently named diversity and inclusion adviser for Ulta, a position Ross accepted “because I want the world to be a better place. And I want Black people to feel really good walking into a retail space.”
The Black-ish star, who is proudly single and childless, also opened up about the societal pressures women face to get married and have babies. When asked if she longed for the American Dream of 2.5 kids and a picketed fence, she responded, “Well, how could you not? Our society spoon-feeds it to you.”
“I used to put myself to sleep dreaming of my wedding,” she explained. “And I would still love all of that, but what am I going to do, just sit around waiting? I’ve got so many things to do.”
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