Michelle Obama Celebrated for Wearing Braids to Her White House Portrait Unveiling

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty

While unveiling her official White House portrait on Wednesday,Michelle Obamaalso received recognition for her hairstyle which holds significant meaning to the Black community in the U.S.

White House correspondent Eugene Danielstweetedabout the moment alongside a photo of Michelle taking on the speech podium, writing, “Something that will mean ALOT to Black people across the country: Former First LadyMichelle Obamawearing braids at the unveiling of her official White House portrait.”

According to PresidentJoe Biden’s advisor, Adjoa B. Asamoah, “Folks will see many things in this picture,” shetweeted. “I do too, but I lift a beautiful @MichelleObama in braids, which means a lot to Black girls & women—including ME as the one who conceptualized and leads the CROWN Act movement. We’re not JUST changing laws. We’re also shifting culture!”

The CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, is a bill first introduced in Congress in March 2019, and prohibits employers from discriminating against people withnatural hair textures and hairstyles. It’s currently a law in 18 states.

Many more prominent figures joined in on the social media praise for the former first lady.

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Meanwhile, the creator and host ofBlackstagepodcast,Brennan DuBosewrote, “#MichelleObamain braids. Something she probably felt she could never do before, but feels liberated to do it now. That’s the tweet.”

Insider reporter Jennifer Streaks also added the celebration of the moment in hertweet, “I am loving@MichelleObama’s braids at the White House portrait unveiling!#firstlady#braids#naturalhair#celebrateus.”

Calling Michelle, “My forever First lady,” an award-winning author Desiree Peterkin Bell also highlighted the moment via herTwitter, writing, “@MichelleObamais wearing braids in the@WhiteHousefor her official portrait unveiling My Queeen!!!!”

At the event, Michellethanked the portrait artists, confessing that it’s still odd for her to “stand in this historic space” and “see this big beautiful painting staring back” at her.

Reflecting about her own story growing up as a Black girl in the South Side of Chicago, she said, “For me, this day is not just about what has happened, it’s also about what could happen.”

“Because a girl like me, she was never supposed to be up there next to Jacqueline Kennedy and Dolley Madison,” she explained. “She was never supposed to live in this house, and she definitely wasn’t supposed to serve as first lady.”

She continued, exploring where the “supposed to” notions came from. “Too often in this country people feel like they have to look a certain way or act a certain way to fit in,” she said, “that they have to make a lot of money or come from a certain group or class or faith in order to matter.”

Facing the portraits, Michelle added, “But what we’re looking at today — a portrait of a biracial kid with an unusual name and the daughter of a water pump operator and a stay-at-home mom — what we’re seeing is that there’s a reminder that there’s a place for everyone in this country because, as Barack said, the two of us can end up on the walls of the most famous address in the world.”

source: people.com