Michelle Obama's Hair

For African-American women, hair commands great interest and carries a lot of cultural baggage

Face Forward 

With a combed-back look to show off her features, Michelle was camera-ready as she accompanied President Obama to a reception at the While House. A black family at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue represents a shattered political barrier, but it may take more than an election to untangle the unique dilemmas surrounding black women and hair.

Sleek Speaker

Smooth strands reflected the lights at Lincoln Center as Michelle addressed the audience at the gala for the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World. In a survey on naturallycurly.com , 56% of respondents said they don't think America is ready for a First Lady with an Afro.

Channeling Jackie

For many First Lady style-watchers, her bob and sideswept bangs recall Jackie Kennedy. But African-American women know that significant maintenance is required to wear such straightened styles.

On-Trend Tourist

On a trip to Italy, Michelle added a stylish bump to a simple up-do. The choice many black women make to alter their natural hair texture has been attributed to everything from a history of oppression and assimilation to media-influenced notions of beauty and simple personal aesthetics.

Making a Bang

En route to their date night in New York City, a few loose strands caught the breeze outside Air Force One. The amount of money black women spend on hair will be explored in Chris Rock's upcoming documentary, Good Hair. "Their hair costs more than anything they wear," he says.

Making Waves

Michelle switched up her usual straight strands for a White House event celebrating musician Stevie Wonder. Having a black First Lady who is widely praised as sophisticated and stylish has done little to calm the debate about whether black women should straighten their hair or wear it naturally curly.

Ponytail Politics

Arriving at Fort McNair on a casual summer day, the First Couple took it easy, from the head down. But for black women, "these is no hair choice that is simple," says Melissa Harris Lacewell, an associate professor of politics and African-American studies at Princeton. "Any choice carries tremendous personal and political valence."

Summer Style

After much speculation in the blogosphere this summer about whether there had been a First Haircut, the First Lady's deputy chief of staff confirmed that Michelle's hair had simply been pinned up to attend a country music performance. Some black women assert that Michelle's choice to wear her hair straightened affirms unfair expectations about what looks professional.

Classic Cut

With a few face-framing strands and a string of pearls, the First Lady arrived in elegant style at 10 Downing Street. Among African-American women, hair is singular in its ability to command attention and carry cultural baggage, with critics alleging that straightened hair conforms to white aesthetics.

The Significance of Style

Many bloggers and stylists have hypothesized about the specific techniques Michelle Obama used to transform the curly hair seen in her 1985 college graduation picture to her current silky styles. What the First Lady chooses to do with her hair has become an important part of the conversation about African-American women's beauty, acceptance, and power.