Approximately two weeks after publicly revealing that she has been diagnosed with alopecia, Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley made her first House floor appearance with her new look.
Wearing a black power suit, pearl earrings, a red lipstick that we want in our beauty bags, and her bald head, she addressed the room concerning a bill for a comprehensive credit act.
When Pressley first shared her hair loss story, she revealed that she’d lost her last bit of hair the eve before the impeachment voting proceedings. She wore a wig to the proceedings, yet, still felt “naked, exposed, and vulnerable,” she told The Root.
Tonight, she looked stunning, standing on the House floor in her truth. We’ve known for years that Rep. Pressley was an absolute beauty, twists or no twists. So it’s inspiring to see that she now feels empowered enough to stand before the world as her absolute self, even as she deals with how that changes and evolves.
Rep. Pressley’s story has already encouraged other women dealing with hair loss to open up about their own experiences. As more women feel like they can show up in the world with their beautiful bald heads, it’ll become less newsworthy and less taboo. More importantly, women can shed the shame of having no hair.
We’ll be the first in line for those t-shirts that read: My congresswoman is bald and beautiful!