Michelle Obama, the former first lady, is speaking out about the constraints of conformity.
The 58-year-old mother of two disclosed that she believed Americans “weren’t ready” for her natural hair since they were still “adjusting” to having a black first family in the White House.
The Independent stated that she made the announcement during an on-stage interview with Ellen DeGeneres in Washington, D.C. earlier this week.
She mentioned how she kept her hair perfectly straight while residing in the White House.
During the promotion of her latest book, “The Light We Carry,” the best-selling author recounted her decision to keep her hair straight: “Let me keep my hair straight.”
“Let’s pass healthcare legislation [first]. “They freaked out when Barack wore a tan suit,” she continued, referencing the commotion the 61-year-old former president Barack Obama, who donned the costume in 2014, caused.
She joked, “The big disgrace, the scandal of the Obama administration.” “As Black women, we deal with the workplace’s code of ethics, including the question, ‘Do you show up with your natural hair?’”
Michelle Obama and Ellen DeGeneres talk onstage at the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC on November 15 during the “Michelle Obama: The Light We Carry Tour.”
Images from Getty Images for Live Nation
She described situations in which she would joke with her colleagues about altering her appearance, adding that they would become frightened.
“I would also make my workers anxious. “I was thinking about getting braids,” Obama explained.
“This describes the African American experience… However, women in offices who worry, “Should I wear skirts? Should I wear stockings?’ “I dislike pantyhose.”
The native of Chicago said, “But when you’re carrying all this other things, this mask, and these distinctions while trying to do your work, it’s simply an additional load to overcome.”
Recently, she appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to discuss her new book.
The attorney stated that she thought Americans were “not ready” for her to wear braids while her husband was in power.
Images from Getty Images for Live Nation
The book, which she referred to as her “little Covid project,” details the strategies she employed to combat the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
“My intention with this book is to spark discussion,” she remarked to Colbert. We require a reconnection.