Tracee Ellis Ross is all about spreading the pride she has in her natural hair. As she should!

Last year, the Black-ish star launched her Pattern haircare brand for curly, textured, coily and wavy hair, and has continued to grow the line with other products like styling cream, gel, hair serum and more.

“I think back to 10 years ago, I went to the Essence Music Festival and a woman was like, ‘Girl, you’re on TV. You need to get your hair done.’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ She was like, ‘Put some heat on your hair! What are you doing?’,” she told Kerry Washington for Elle.com.

“Growing up, we all went through this experience, where straight hair was your dressed-up hair,” she continued. “The blowout, silky-whatever meant you became more presentable, more appropriate. It was your dressy, sexy version of you. I see such an evolution on that narrative and I’m so grateful for it.”

Tracee added that she loves seeing other celebrities like Kerry and Solange Knowles going curly on the red carpet, which is a big leap from where the world was a decade ago.

“In terms of seeing all different kinds of versions in the wallpaper of my lives out in the world, I wasn’t seeing it. And I was getting confused,” she said. “All of the things that I was taught from the media were like, I was supposed to have easy breezy beautiful hair. Bouncin’ and behavin’. My hair didn’t blow in the wind! All of these things didn’t match up.”

You have to read the rest of the interview. Head over to Elle!