Lupita Nyong'o Checks 'Vogue'...

photo taken from Lupita's Instagram

In case you missed it: Lupita Nyong'o checked the shit out of Vogue.com in an educational, classy way after a post went up claiming that the star's Met Gala sculptural hairdo was inspired by Audrey Hepburn (of all people!). Nyong'o was like bitch please and quickly responded via a nice clapback on her Instagram page showcasing photos of her true hair hair inspirations. Now here's the shade- Vogue's own Andre Leon Talley actually interviewed Nyong'o on the red carpet and she explained being inspired by “the sculptural hairdos from all around the continent"; the video was posted on vogue.com so wtf was the journalist thinking?!

It's almost laughable if it wasn't so insulting to the cultural aspect of black women and our hair. This is deeper than calling cornrows "boxer braids" and editorial dashikis. First of all this is what happens when mainstream magazines don't hire black, Native American, Latina or any other writers of color to add a culturally diverse voice to their publications. When you are not allowed or given a platform to write/tell your own story, then others will do it for you, get it wrong, add their own input and leave out crucial information and have the masses thinking that it is the truth *cough cough- history books*. And even still it is so irresponsible of a journalists to not do the research and fact check for themselves when information is out there and readily available for everybody to see. This is white washing and lazy journalism all in one failed post and so surprisingly disrespectful of 'Vogue' who, in my personal opinion lost all credibility with that damn Kim K cover a while back smh...

So in honor of  'Vogue's' embarrassing Lupita Nyong'o's Met Gala hair inspiration gaffe I dug up this video from (you guessed it!) vogue.com of Nyongo' braiding the heads of her homegirls that I was waiting to post as a throwback Thursday, but I feel that it is important to watch right now...

Today's throwback is from 'Vogue' who produced a short video of actress Lupita Nyong'o braiding the heads of six of her closest friends! Not only is it inexplicably calming to watch, but it also feels so familiar and like you were next in line to get twisted by the beautiful Nyong'o. At least that's how I felt lol. It brought back real memories of sitting in between my mom's legs on a floor pillow that never had enough cushion with a comb, brush and hair grease in my hand as she pulled and yanked at my thick hair and created all types of patterns and a maze of cornrows that lasted for a few weeks at a time. 

Of course once I got older I allowed my girlfriends to add extensions to waist length braids and cornrows and twists all while gossiping and plotting our next moves. Braiding is storytelling- the actual act of it and the event itself cause that's when your stylist has you in an awkward neck straining position for the next one to twelve hours, depending on the style you sat down for.  I love when traditions are shared and explained to others in a way of show and tell and this video does that. I also loved what Lupita smooth voiced self had to say:

“Braiding just tells a story…Your hair is your frame, if you jack someone’s hair up, the world sees it. For me, braiding hair is an intimate thing. It’s getting up close and personal and I like to do it for people that I know and love and trust.”

Which is right on the money cause ain't nobody just putting their hands and bad energy all in my head lol!