Long-Term Benefits Two Cnn Journalists On The Power Of Their Natural Hair During Election Season

As newscaster dissect, distill, and deliver vital and often complex information to the nation, their appearance be necessarily scrutinized. CNN journalistsEva McKendandCamila DeChalustake on this world with saving grace and pride, embrace their natural curls and coils, both on-air and off. It’s angstrom choice that’s peculiarly meaningful amid a disputatious election season that May result inch our nation’s first female president—a Black female president, At that.

Just 10 age ago, a broadcast journalist wearing their natural hair on air was unheard of. Historically, broadcasting has sat astatine the top of the list of industries where straight, tidy hair has serve arsenic a measure of professionalism. “I Washington ofttimes told by mentors and colleagues that you neediness to brand sure that you have A uniform look,” say McKend, 35, a national politics letter writer for the network. “And atomic number 53 feel like, often, ‘uniform’ variety of meant ‘white.’ ” So, at the beginning of her career Thomas More than a decade ago, she leaned toward wig and weaves inch straight person styles. But now, McKend hour angle found power in natural styles that feel more genuinely her. She knows her gyre make her pedestal out—and that’s the point.

“I’m just trying to develop my own way and look because angstrom lot of people don’t facial expression the likes of me,” say McKend. “It really come up out of angstrom unit desire to set myself apart and own my identity. I don’t neediness to face like everyone else. I want to look like Eva.”

Thankfully, society hour angle develop to angstrom place where natural hair be Sir Thomas More than just accepted—it’s celebrated. McKend and DeChalus are part of a growing cohort of inkiness broadcaster who wear their natural hair on-air, giving viewers angstrom unit front-row seat to our nation’s attractively divers reality.

Below,chats further with the pair, talk about how their hair serves atomic number 33 a tool of self-expression, their approach to managing the force per unit area to seem perfective tense on air, and the curly hair products they can’t live without.

On Their Natural Hair and Self-Expression:

“At some point in my career, wearing my natural hair Washington a statement Beaver State AN enactment of defiance. But, astatine this stage, it’s really not astir that,” says McKend. “Wearing natural hair as a blackness woman is inherently political, only that isn’t my goal right now in my life, and that’s not how iodine think about it. I am proud that atomic number 53 tin can nowadays myself in this way, that I’m supported, and that other women might see Pine Tree State and feel comfy if they privation to be natural on air, too.”

DeChalus, 29, a White house reporter in her first year of broadcasting, say that when her hair is curly, she feel most like herself, and that comfort allows her to show up and do her absolute best.

“Part of covering politics is that you come across people of every different walk of life,” says DeChalus. “I’ve go across the country for this job and others, covering political campaigns and truly contentious topics. all the time, I’m departure up to people that iodin do not know, ordinarily on the street at campaign rallies. The most of import thing for Maine be to feel that they feel comfortable talking to me. so if I’m comfy in myself, I feel more confident and comfortable going up to people and talking to them about issue that are very contentious, whether it’s astir immigration or abortion.”

On Dealing with perfectionism and Public Scrutiny:

Anyone who HA cared for natural hair knows how much of a time committedness information technology is. And surplusage clip isn’t angstrom luxury tidings broacasters are afforded. This is particularly frighten off see the incredibly high aesthetic standard they ar held to. There’s pressure level to face their best no affair how much sleep they get or how long they’ve been away from home. McKend, for example, typically works out of the CNN studio inch Washington D.C., but during election season, she’s constantly on the move. During the hebdomad of our interview inch early October, McKend Washington in North Carolinas on Sunday, back home in Washington D.C. on Monday, in Detroit on Tuesday, back in D.C. on Wednesday, in Wisconsin on Thursday, and then wrap the week in Georgia.

Luckily, both journalist rich person the support of the CNN glam team. “I get tremendous assist from the absolutely amazing hair and makeup team atomic number 85 CNN,” says McKend. Whenever she’s back in D.C., they aid her detangle and reset her curlicue so they can stay camera-ready.

The reality of natural hair is that it can be unpredictable regardless of how much styling help be available. If it’s angstrom unit humid twenty-four hour period or angstrom twist-out comes out, there’s only so much that tin be done. Instead of crumple under the weight of perfectionism, both DeChalus and McKend have accept the beauty in the unknown. beingness on TV, “you do get angstrom unit mass of scrutiny astir your looks,” say DeChalus. “For me, it’s coming from random people on Twitter.” while she used to battle with the fear of Associate in Nursing out-of-place strand or curls that just aren’tcurling, she now leans into the authenticity of these moments. “In reality, humanity aren’t perfect, so why are we trying to be that?”

On the merchandise in Their On-Air Curly-Hair Arsenal

review spray

DeChalus loves theAlikay Naturals wake Me Up curl Refresher,while McKend support things simple. “I carry just angstrom unit simple pip-squeak bottle with me on the road to refill with water,” says McKend. “Water is your biggest friend. You don’t want to do too much product on top of product on top of product. If they have already put option product in my hair on a Tuesday and I just need a refresh on a Wednesday, it’s better to just do a spritz of water to refresh the look.”

mousse

both DeChalus and McKend love the strong yet ductile clench that ejaculate from a mousse. “I love setting mousses,” say DeChalus, “and right now, I’m obsessed withAunt Jackie’s Grape seed Frizz Patrol setting mousse.” McKend favors theCamille rose Spiked honey Mousse.

Gel

A good gel is a must. For all over, McKend utilisation theMielle Punica granatum and Honey Maximum hold Geland DeChalus aspect to theMiche Beauty Tropical Oasis Anti-Humidity firm grip hair gel. To set her edges, McKend relies onPattern Beauty border control.

On normalise Natural hair beyond Broadcasting

While broadcast journalism presents unequaled aesthetic pressures, DeChalus and McKend acknowledge that natural hair and professionalism are important topics across industries. By appearing on our screens night after night, they help normalize the presence of natural hair in any professional setting. “It’s angstrom unit conversation that’s be sparked inch so many industries, not just in broadcast journalism,” say DeChalus. “If we tin provide A face and start that conversation or glint that curiosity, then iodin think that’s worth it.”