“This is how change happens”.
Remember when Zendaya used her hair on the spot for the 2015 Oscars, and Giuliana Rancic received a negative reaction for saying that Zendaya’s hair seemed to smell like “patchouli oil … and marijuana”?
Jason Merritt / Getty Images
Well, that prompted Zendaya to write a long statement on Instagram about how Rancic’s comment was “offensive”.
Now, five years later, she recalled that moment in a recent interview with W magazine and said that she is happy to have talked about it.
“This is how change happens,” she said. “It got me thinking, how could I ever have a lasting impact on what people saw and associated with people of color?”
In 2015, Zendaya taught Rancic about the beauty of black hair.
Christopher Polk / Getty Images
“There are already harsh criticisms of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the waviness of their hair,” she wrote at the time.
“[Me] using my hair in locs on the red carpet at the Oscars was to show them in a positive way, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough ”, continued the actor.
Rancic apologized on Twitter after reading Zendaya’s post and she also gave a longer apology on the air.
Dear @Zendaya, I’m sorry to have offended you and others. I was referring to a chic bohemian look. It had NOTHING to do with race and it would NEVER have !!!
Twitter / @GiulianaRancic / Via Twitter: @GiulianaRancic
Zendaya definitely had a lasting impact on the Oscars that night. She became an icon and showed the world that black hair is really beautiful.
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