Michelle Obama lashed out at white people during a live conversation on Beauty, Culture & Confidence with Tracee Ellis Ross.
Michelle did not hold back when discussing the struggles Black women go through to tame our natural, tightly coiled hair, otherwise known as 4C hair.
The discussion was filmed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) during a promo for Michelle’s new book, titled “The Look by Michelle Obama.”
Michelle explained how society’s definition of beauty traps Black women into an exhausting and expensive routine. Black 4C hair tends to revert when exposed to moisture. Michelle said that’s why Black women avoid swimming and stay away from water.
Michelle described how she turned to wearing hair weave and hair extensive to protect her hair from excessive heat from styling tools during the White House years. She told her hair stylist to design her wigs to look just like her hair.
“Let me explain something to white people,” Michelle said. “Our hair comes out of our head naturally in a curly pattern. So when we’re straightening it to follow your beauty standards. We are trapped by the straightness. That’s why so many of us can’t swim and we run away from the water. People won’t go to the gym because we’re trying to keep our hair straight for y’all!”
She continued: “It is exhausting and it’s so expensive and it takes up so much time.”
She added that braiding our hair is also for the benefit of white people, “So we can work harder and focus on the work. So why do we need an act of law to tell white folks to get out of our hair? Don’t tell me how to wear my hair, don’t wonder about it, don’t touch it. Just don’t.”
