American actress and model Tika Sumpter has
reacted to Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie's seemingly controversial comments
where she concluded that president Obama
would not have been elected if the FLOTUS
rocked her natural hair.
Sumpter and co-star Parker Sawyers are set to
bring the Obamas' love story to life on the big
screen, playing young Michelle Obama and
President Barack Obama in the film "Southside
With You"
In an August 9th interview with Britain's
Channel 4 News, Ms Adichie says that Mrs
Obama could not get away with natural hair
because of the negative stereotypes associated
with it, adding that the first lady's natural hair
would prevent Barack Obama from being
elected president in 2008.
"I've often said that if Michelle Obama had
natural hair when Barack Obama was running
for President, he would not have won because
her natural hair would have signified certain
things to people. It would signify that she's
some sort of militant, neo-Black Panther,
frightening" Adichie explains.
In a recent interview on BET, the 36-year-old
The Haves and the Have Nots star who is
expecting her first child, was asked about the
Nigerian writer's comment.
"You can have natural hair and still blow it out
and it'll be straight," she started saying. "I've
had hair where it looked permed but it wasn't.
It was in my natural state but I just blew it out.
I don't know. I mean... What does that mean?"
Parker chipped in, saying just the fact that they
earned their spot in the White House as an
African-American family is proof enough that
nothing else matters.
"I would say that Barack Hussein Obama... Who
thought he could be president?" he said. "Then
who thought a Black family would be in the
White House anyway? No offense to the author,
but I think he still would've been elected."
"I don't know if I can even answer that
question," Tika added. "I think the character of
these two would've shined through regardless.
Natural hair or not. I don't really know. I mean,
I understand what she's saying, but I don't
really know about that. That's a pretty intense
statement because you're basing an outside
characteristic on the character of the human
being."
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