The year 2020 was the first time that Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley wore her bald head on Capital Hill and we love it! But now in 2022, Pressley’s name and hair came up again because of the altercation that happened between Chris Rock and Will Smith at the 94th Annual Oscars.
Midway through presenting the Academy Award for Best Best Documentary, Rock made a jab at the appearance of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith who’s been rocking a bald head. Smith marched on stage and smacked the comedian, then returned to his seat yelling: “keep my wife’s name out of your f— mouth.”
Both Pinkett Smith and Pressley have alopecia, a condition resulting in baldness that appeared to be the subject of Rock’s joke.
Sunday night, Rep. Ayanna Pressley issued a new statement Monday addressing the incident and Rock’s joke.
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Pressley initially tweeted: “#Alopecia nation stand up! Thank you #WillSmith Shout out to all the husbands who defend their wives living with alopecia in the face of daily ignorance & insults.”
The post included a picture of Pressley with her husband, Conan Harris. The congresswoman, who represents Massachusetts’ 7th congressional district, deleted the tweet minutes later, according to Politico.
On Monday, Pressley addressed the joke in a new tweet, writing in part: “My life’s work has always been about trauma [and] healing. I’m a survivor – I don’t endorse violence in any form.”
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“Our bodies are not public domain,” she continued. “They are not a line in a joke — especially when the transformation is not of our choosing. I’m a survivor of violence. I’m a proud Alopecian. The psychological toll we carry daily is real. Team Jada always. That’s that on that.”
Black women have always been brave. Whether they were born with it or had events in life where they had to be it, Black women have always shown braveness no matter what it is.
Ayanna Pressley, the first black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts, used to proudly wear Senegalese twists as she took the oath of office. They were long, rich, and seemed to frame her face perfectly. Her wearing her hair like this was a brave moment, especially during a time when so many Black women were being criticized for their hair in the workplace. So much so that Black hair became a political statement–again. Pressley, along with millions of women around the world continued to show the diversity and breadth of black beauty, setting examples for many young black girls.
States across the country are now finally passing legislation to prevent employers from discriminating against black women who wear
