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."
LIB
Follow Solenzo Blog on
0 Comments