Viola!

Everybody was wondering if she would do it.

After Viola Davis' fashion-foward L.A. Times Magazine cover, via which many of us witnessed her fabulous auburn TWA (teeny-weeny afro, for those unfamiliar with natural hair blog lingo) for the first time, the Black interwebs were abuzz with one question:  Will she leave the wigs alone and walk the Oscars' red carpet in her natural glory?

She did!  It seems like everybody in creamy crack recovery, including me, was giving her virtual high fives over on ESSENCE's Facebook page.

It's 2012, and it shouldn't feel like a big deal, but I think it is.

In a world which largely continues to view undiluted black beauty as inferior or foreign, her opting to boldly walk the red carpet in front of a billion eyes, radiant, powerful, and with short, brightly-colored, unrelaxed and unobscured coils makes a statement.

Hopefully, this will be a turning point for the industry.  Perhaps she and other black actresses will feel more empowered to rock natural styles, not just on the red carpet, but onscreen.  I get that weaves and wigs are often used to prevent styling damage and maintain continuity during film shoots, but how about using natural-looking weaves/wigs, if that's what's really on your head anyway, and the part allows it?       

Ms. Davis' natural hair made her look ten years younger.  I truly hope that some of my natural family members follow her lead and take their stiff wigs directly to the dumpster today!  (I dropped some rather obvious hints to family during the ceremony last night:  "Did you see Viola?  She looks GREAT without her wig!")  But that would be asking for too much.  *sigh*

Did you approve of Viola's natural turn on the red carpet?  Does her hairstyle even matter?