Skai Jackson is speaking out about what it was really like being a young Black actress at Disney Channel. In a recent sit-down with media personality Justin LaBoy, the former child star opened up about the persistent battles she fought to wear her natural hair on screen — and why she refused to back down.
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“It was a thing to hire a Black hairstylist. We had a good hairstylist, but she just didn’t understand my hair,” Jackson said. “It took them a while to be like, ‘Okay, you can have your own hairstyle.’ And I’m like, ‘Why did it take that long?'”
Those candid words sum up what Jackson describes as the quiet but persistent friction she faced as a young Black actress at Disney Channel — a network she otherwise credits with a largely positive experience. From pushing to wear her natural twist-outs on screen to fighting to keep box braids in for an entire camp-set season of “Bunk’d,” Jackson made clear that holding onto her identity on camera required real conviction.
“I was very big on wearing my natural curly hair, wear twist out. And I also thought that was important for young girls to see that on TV. Because a lot of the girls on Disney that were Black, they were straightening their hair,” she told LaBoy. The pushback on box braids was especially pointed. When her character was set to spend an extended stretch at summer camp — a context where, as Jackson put it, “a Black girl is going to wear braids” — Disney hesitated. “They were like, uh, I don’t know, we have to think about it. And we don’t know, but you can do it for one episode, then take them out. I’m like, I’m not taking them out. I’m at camp the whole time, I’m gonna wear braids.”
Even after she won that battle, the scrutiny continued. “I remember one time we did an episode and I had just gotten them done. So, you know, you have the parts and stuff. They were like, we need to spray the parts with black stuff, ’cause it looks like bald spots,” she recalled.
Background: A Disney Staple Since Age Nine
Jackson rose to fame as Zuri Ross on the Disney Channel sitcom “Jessie,” which ran from 2011 to 2015, before reprising the role in the spin-off series “Bunk’d” from 2015 to 2018. Born in Staten Island, New York on April 8, 2002, she began her career as a child model and made her Disney debut at just nine years old, going on to appear in over 150 combined episodes across both shows. Her performance as the sharp-tongued youngest Ross sibling earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination in 2016 and landed her on TIME’s list of the most influential teens that same year.
A Legacy of Representation
Despite the friction, Jackson stood firm — and says she’s glad she did.
“I will say overall, my experience was good. And that’s why I just was very strong about what I wanted,” she reflected.
“That’s why I think a lot of people appreciate it now because — I would have little girls come up to me all the time and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re such an inspiration for me and a role model. I finally see somebody on the channel that looks like me.’ So if I could accomplish that, that’s the best thing. That’s all that.”
Jackson’s account adds to a broader conversation about representation and hair discrimination in Hollywood, particularly for Black performers in children’s media. Her willingness to push back — even as a child — ultimately made her character a more authentic reflection of the young Black girls watching at home.
It’s disappointing to hear that Skai Jackson was told to hide her braid parts instead of embracing a natural protective style. Stories like this show why more awareness and education around Black hair and braiding culture are still so important in the beauty and entertainment industries.