Seriously, this is just a question. After purchasing the current People magazine with the beautiful Obama family on the cover, I had to stop and wonder.
If the Obama girls (wife and daughters) sported natural hairstyles -- afros, dreds, braids, -- would that be an issue on the road to the White House?
I think Black hair is still political, so I think it would. I think Barack's campaign advisor would definitely have called a hair meeting and demanded the ladies straighten their locks because the American people are not ready for that level of Blackness.
What do you think Meltingpot readers? Can you think of a moment in time when a hairstyle made a difference? I thought of a bunch of them and wrote a book about it called Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. Check it out if you want some perspective.
Peace and Hair Grease!
4 comments:
that fact that some people had an issue with the girls wearing cornrows during the summer break, tells me we won't be seeing an afro until maybe his second term. ha
I wonder how people would react if the girls didn't have a white grandmother and had a different hair texture. would Michelle feel pressure to get them a relaxer?
over 70 percent of black american women straighten their hair. A natural on Michelle...not going to happen.
I do agree that it would make a difference. Especially while the silly assertion that Michelle "qualifies" Barack's blackness still floats through the media.
I have wondered about Whoopi G.'s haircut since her addition to The View lineup. While Sherry Shepherd usually rocks wigs or a pressed look, I notice that Whoopi's locks were quite long and often expressive and in her face.Now she has a cute little little angled bob. I'm not saying she hasn't had a short look before but I wondered if someone whispered something in her direction...
Hair certainly made a difference with John Edwards and Bill Clinton!
And I currently have Hair Story out of the library, and I can attest that it's a fascinating read! Also, if any of you are in West Philly, the Philadelphia Beauty Showcase Historical Museum on 52nd Street is well worth a visit. It has some wonderful exhibits on black haircare history and even covers contemporary issues around African hair braiding. Call ahead thought, since the hours are erratic: http://www.pbsnhm.org/
Ha! Great idea!
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