The Inspiring Reason Viola Davis Wore An Afro To The Golden Globes

Red carpet season guarantees a few things, like awkward host jokes and a slew of trending Twitter topics. Another certainty: Viola Davis will come to slay... and she did just that at the Golden Globes tonight. The How To Get Away With Murder star wore a crown of dark brown curls and coils, stretched to perfection by her hairstylist Jamika Wilson.

"The movement of wearing black and standing in solidarity for all women was my inspiration," Wilson tells Refinery29 exclusively. "Their collective choice speaks volumes; they stood tall and unapologetic for their beliefs. And I wanted to create a hairstyle equally as bold and beautiful."

To do that, she started the night before with a two-strand twist-out on Davis' 4c hair, enhanced by extensions. "Using extensions allows women to be creative, experiment with lengths and change any look as they choose," Wilson says. "They're a great hair accessory." She worked As I Am Curling Jelly Definer and As I Am Doublebutter Cream through her hair, and Davis slept with the twists in overnight. To prevent shrinkage, Wilson applied a small amount of Shea Moisture Red Palm & Cocoa Butter Curl Stretch Pudding, which elongated and defined the style. She used an Afro pick and a blow dryer with a diffuser to stretch out the curls, and also picked up a Hot Tools 1/2” curling iron to define some pieces. "I love the fact that women are embracing their natural hair and playing with texture," Wilson says. "There’s more experimentation on the carpet, more embracing of natural texture, more creative styles. It’s gorgeous and exciting!"

Of course, this isn't the first time that the actress proudly wore her natural hair texture on the red carpet. At the 2012 Emmys, she went without a wig for the first time ever. "I would not say that I was 100 percent comfortable until I walked onto the carpet," she told us in a previous interview. "And I'll tell you why: Number one, I felt like I had to be. Number two, I just wanted to be me. Every time you walk that carpet, the pressure to be your authentic self, but at the same time not stick out... That balance is something we are all trying to reach when we walk out the door every day. How do we fit in, but be ourselves and be true to ourselves?"

It's a lesson that she's committed to passing on to her 7-year-old daughter Genesis. Davis posed with Genesis, who wore her own beautiful curls, before this year's Golden Globes ceremony. "I don’t care how stereotypical it is, beauty has got to come from the inside," Davis told us, when asked what she hopes to teach Genesis about beauty. "It’s got to come from owning her story — all of it. Her failures, her insecurities, her strength, her joy, all of it. There’s not one thing she can leave on the side of the road and not claim. That’s all I want for her."

Paired with coppery lids, mile-long lashes, a metallic lip, and a glimmering highlight created by artist Autumn Moultrie, Davis' glow rivaled the trophy that she presented that evening.