Amanda Gorman [1] just became the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history as she took the stage to perform at the inauguration of President Joe Biden [2] and Vice President Kamala Harris [3] on Jan. 20. As viewers listened in on the 22-year-old's speech and lauded her words on unity and peace, people also started to point out another significant detail about her presence at the ceremony: her braids.
When Gorman performed, she wore her hair in crochet braids that she pulled up into a high bun and adorned with gold hair jewellery and a bright red headband [4], something that, as journalist Mara Gay pointed out on Twitter [5], hasn't yet been seen on the inaugural stage.
As history has shown, Black women in politics are often scrutinized for the ways they choose to wear their hair [6], specifically when said hairstyles involve braids and/or twists. US representative Ayanna Pressley once spoke about being discouraged from wearing her hair in Senegalese twists [7] while pursuing her career in politics, and when Malia Obama wore her hair in twists [8] at the age of 11 in 2009, she was attacked for not straightening her hair before stepping out in public. While Gorman herself isn't a politician or the daughter of one, it's still refreshing to see a Black woman attend such an illustrious event proudly wearing her hair in a style that's been unique to Black women for ages.
We still have a long way to go when it comes to affording Black women in politics the freedoms to wear their hair how they choose [9], but Gorman's moment at the inauguration and the reception it's received online is a step in the right direction. Read ahead to hear Amanda Gorman's speech and to see more photos of the braids she wore to the inauguration.