Michelle Obama Calls Out America's Beauty Standards; Gets Trolled & Labelled Racist for Asking White People To Not Touch Her Hair

Michelle Obama has found herself at the centre of a heated online storm after a clip from an event surfaced, showing the former First Lady discussing the pressures Black women face regarding hair. What began as a candid conversation on beauty standards quickly turned into a debate across social media platforms, where critics accused her of exaggerating and even called her remarks “racist”.

'It is exhausting and it's so expensive'

During the event, Michelle addressed the audience with an unfiltered explanation of the struggles many Black women face when trying to fit into American beauty norms.

In her words: "Let me explain something to white people. 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. That's why so many of us can't swim, and we run away from the water. People won't go to the gym because we're trying to keep our hair straight for y'all."

Check out the clip below:

She continued, "It is exhausting, and it's so expensive, and it takes up so much time. Braids are for y'all so we can work harder and focus on the work. So 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."

Internet reacts

While some applauded her honesty, the internet quickly divided. Critics said her statements unfairly blamed white people for personal hair choices, while supporters argued she was highlighting a long-standing cultural issue Black women face.

One X user reacted, "Social pressure makes this probably true for some curly girls. I hope that most, like me, wear their hair straight because they want to and when they want to. Yet I definitely get it."
Another wrote, "Her point hits hard, beauty standards often feel like traps, not choices."

Others called her comments exaggerated. "Absolutely nobody has said she needs to straighten her hair, what a joke. She's calling a hair style racist," a user criticised. Another pushed back, stating, "That's bullshit. Black people, women especially, are criticised for their hair. There are places that have policies that won't let them wear it natural."

One more wrote, "It's not a good look to try to inspire self imposed beauty standards. The ridiculous amount of women who pay to perm and curl their hair speaks for itself. The industry makes billions off of it."