Michelle Obama Lashes Out At White People During Interview For New Book
Former first lady Michelle Obama said she had to conform to white beauty standards during an interview for her new fashion book, “The Look.”
The wife of former President Barack Obama said she felt obligated to keep her hair straight during her tenure in the White House during a conversation with actress Tracee Ellis Ross. She blamed white people for the “exhausting” beauty standards she felt she had to meet while in the spotlight. Reflecting on her childhood, she told Ellis that black people need to know how to present themselves because “the way you present yourself can sometimes save your life.”
Obama said his exposure to “upscale Chicago” taught him a lesson. “And to access these places and not be accused of theft, we realize very early on that it is better to let ourselves be heard talking, or to come with the good deal Le Sac, otherwise we would be watched,” declared the former first lady.
“So I think I learned in that moment that the way you present yourself, especially when it comes to white people looking at young black kids, that the way you present yourself can sometimes save your life,” she said.
Ross read aloud from Obama’s book. “In a way, being first lady was just another professional experience where I had to conform to an appropriate white environment,” the former first lady wrote, according to Ross.
Obama then discussed the lengths she went to to keep her natural hair hidden until she left the White House and finally turned her attention to white people.
MARTHA’S VINEYARD, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 09: Michelle Obama speaks on Higher Ground’s “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson” podcast during the 2025 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center on August 09, 2025 in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
“Let me explain something to the white people!” » said Obama.
“Our hair naturally comes out of our head in a curly pattern, so when we straighten it to follow your beauty standards, we are trapped by straightening!” » she said.
She continued to list a series of restrictions she said black people faced.
“This is why so many of us can’t swim!” » said Obama.
“And we’re running from the water. People won’t go to the gym, because we’re trying to keep our hair straight for y’all. It’s exhausting, and it’s so expensive and it takes so much time!” she moaned.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 13: Michelle Obama speaks on stage during the IMO Live Podcast 2025 SXSW conference and festival at the Austin Convention Center on March 13, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)
Obama then suggested that it was in white people’s interests to allow black women to abandon these so-called beauty expectations.
She referenced the Crown Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” The legislation prohibits discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture, according to the CROWN Coalition website.
“Braids are for all of you so we can work harder and focus on work, so why do we need a law, a law to tell white people to get rid of our hair,” she said. (RELATED: Michelle Obama Tackles Divorce Rumors Head-On)
“Don’t tell me how to wear my hair, don’t wonder, don’t touch it, just don’t do it!” » she said.
