(Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has always looked amazing. When she took the stage at the 2019 Essence Festival in New Orleans on Saturday to have a conversation with Gayle King about marriage, life in the White House and inspiration for Black Women many of us weren’t expecting anything less than the beauty that is Michelle Obama. But while we’re always here for whatever gems Mrs. Obama has to share, we fans were here for another thing too: her natural curls.
To much of the surprise of the audience, the former First Lady came out in a stunning set of golden highlighted curls rocking down past her shoulders.
One of the last times we saw Obama with her natural curls was on the cover of Essence in 2018. She was also pictured with her natural texture in 2017, a few months after leaving the White House.
This time fans couldn’t get enough of her curls. In fact, people on social media couldn’t stop commenting on it over the weekend.
One fan, @SavionWright on Twitter said, “OK NATURAL HAIR! This makes me so proud!”
Another fan, @islandlove13 on Twitter wrote, “I love your natural curls – Little girls are paying attention.”
And @Jamaica_yeah responded with “Love Ms. Obama’s sexy hair. Always evolving and not looking Day older.”
Can I just say that I love that Michelle Obama came to #essencefest with this festival weave! The wash and go curls! The ombré blonde! I stan. pic.twitter.com/MineadjfLM
— Sylvia (@SylviaObell) July 8, 2019
While in the White House, Mrs. Obama kept her look more or less consistent, wearing cardigans and elegant midi-length skirts with her hair either styled into sleek, romantic curls or updos for formal events. However, since leaving her official role in 2016, she’s been able to have a bit more fun and we love it!
This natural look comes on the heels of California passing a landmark bill, The CROWN act. The Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural hair (CROWN) legislation ensures protection against discrimination in the workplace based on hairstyles by prohibiting employers from enforcing purportedly “race-neutral” grooming policies that disproportionately impact persons of color. The CROWN Act makes it illegal for employers to enforce policies surrounding discriminate against people wearing natural or protective styles — like braids, dreadlocks, and twists. To date, there hasn’t been any legal precedent in state or federal court to protect individuals against hair discrimination…
until now.
California is taking a big leap further than cities like New York City who also recently passed their own legislation which made hair discrimination illegal (California is still the first entire state to adopt this kind of law). Those found in violation of the law can face a penalty of up to $250,000, with no cap on damages, and would be subject to re-hiring those fired if it was proven that discrimination was involved.
One of the main supporters is The CROWN Coalition, a national alliance comprised of the National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Color Of Change, and Dove. The coalition is proud to announce that it is sponsoring the CROWN Act.
We always honor our forever First Lady. Real Queens recognize each other’s crowns. 😉
By subscribing, you consent to receive emails from BlackDoctor.com. You may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
