Michelle Obama Celebrated for Wearing Braids to Her White House Portrait Unveiling

Former First Lady Michelle Obama and former U.S. President Barack Obama

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While unveiling her official White House portrait on Wednesday, Michelle Obama also received recognition for her hairstyle which holds significant meaning to the Black community in the U.S.

More than five years after moving out of the president’s mansion, Michelle, 58, and her husband, former President Barack Obama, returned to their former home, where the White House Historical Association presented paintings by artists Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung.

Wearing her hair in braids while donning a custom pleated, ombré silk dress designed by her long-time tailor Christy Rilling, the former First Lady grabbed the public’s attention at the historical event and was praised for bringing the representation of her community to such a huge platform.

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White House correspondent Eugene Daniels tweeted about the moment alongside a photo of Michelle taking on the speech podium, writing, “Something that will mean ALOT to Black people across the country: Former First Lady Michelle Obama wearing braids at the unveiling of her official White House portrait.”

According to President Joe Biden’s advisor, Adjoa B. Asamoah, “Folks will see many things in this picture,” she tweeted. “I do too, but I lift a beautiful @MichelleObama in braids, which means a lot to Black girls & women—including ME as the one who conceptualized and leads the CROWN Act movement. We’re not JUST changing laws. We’re also shifting culture!”

The CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, is a bill first introduced in Congress in March 2019, and prohibits employers from discriminating against people with natural hair textures and hairstyles. It’s currently a law in 18 states.

Many more prominent figures joined in on the social media praise for the former first lady.

“I am out here living for @MichelleObama’s braids,” TV Host Joy-Ann Reid tweeted of the event. “Also the lashes! Ok now on to more important things. The portraits!!”

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Meanwhile, the creator and host of Blackstage podcast, Brennan DuBose wrote, “#MichelleObama in braids. Something she probably felt she could never do before, but feels liberated to do it now. That’s the tweet.”

Insider reporter Jennifer Streaks also added the celebration of the moment in her tweet, “I am loving @MichelleObama’s braids at the White House portrait unveiling! #firstlady #braids #naturalhair #celebrateus.”

Calling Michelle, “My forever First lady,” an award-winning author Desiree Peterkin Bell also highlighted the moment via her Twitter, writing, “@MichelleObama is wearing braids in the @WhiteHouse for her official portrait unveiling My Queeen!!!!”

RELATED: What to Know About the Artists Who Painted Barack and Michelle Obama’s Official White House Portraits

USA TODAY Columnist, Sophia A. Nelson expressed her admiration for the style by tweeting,  “I LOVE that @MichelleObama has braids in her hair!! I love it!! #OfficialPortrait.”

At the event, Michelle thanked the portrait artists, confessing that it’s still odd for her to “stand in this historic space” and “see this big beautiful painting staring back” at her.

Reflecting about her own story growing up as a Black girl in the South Side of Chicago, she said, “For me, this day is not just about what has happened, it’s also about what could happen.”

“Because a girl like me, she was never supposed to be up there next to Jacqueline Kennedy and Dolley Madison,” she explained. “She was never supposed to live in this house, and she definitely wasn’t supposed to serve as first lady.”

RELATED: Michelle Obama Delivers Powerful Speech on What Her History-Making White House Portrait Represents

She continued, exploring where the “supposed to” notions came from. “Too often in this country people feel like they have to look a certain way or act a certain way to fit in,” she said, “that they have to make a lot of money or come from a certain group or class or faith in order to matter.”

Facing the portraits, Michelle added, “But what we’re looking at today — a portrait of a biracial kid with an unusual name and the daughter of a water pump operator and a stay-at-home mom — what we’re seeing is that there’s a reminder that there’s a place for everyone in this country because, as Barack said, the two of us can end up on the walls of the most famous address in the world.”