Rep. Ayanna Pressley Reveals Her Battle With Alopecia: 'I Felt Naked, Exposed, Vulnerable'
As Black women, we grow up with the understanding that our hair is the physical manifestation of our ideological crown. Despite this fact, the same head of hair that should empower us can make us feel the most vulnerable––that's exactly why Rep. Ayanna's Pressley's choice to reveal her battle with alopecia turned out to be one of the difficult decisions of her political career.
While we may know her has the Black AF representative who will unapologetically rock Senegalese twists at the House of Chambers or the cookout, the congresswoman recently revealed that she was managing a very real emotional crisis behind the scenes.
In a recent interview with The Root, the Massachusetts politician opened up about the life-changing secret that, until now, she's only been able to share in the privacy of her own home. According to her, being transparent about both her battle and newfound baldness is the only way to truly find freedom.
Ayanna told the publication that she first noticed symptoms of her condition at the hair salon and soon after, the condition accelerated quickly. She explained:
"I did not want to go to sleep because I did not want to wake up, remove this bonnet and my wrap and be met with more hair in the sink and an image in the mirror of a person who increasingly felt like a stranger to me."
Despite sleeping on a silk pillow, trying new products, and several other quick fixes, Ayanna soon found that her attempts to regrow her hair were futile and she felt helpless. After inspiring women across the country to be proud of their crowns, Ayanna now felt that she had lost hers and had no time to mourn––not to mention that all of this was happening during one of the most important times in her political career.
"I was completely bald and in a matter of hours, I was going to have to walk into the floor in the House chambers and cast a vote in favor of articles of impeachment. So I didn't have the luxury of mourning what felt like the loss of a limb. It was a moment transformation not of my choosing but I knew the moment demanded that I stand in it and that I lean in."
Ayanna shared that the moment she walked off of the House of Chambers floor, she fled to the bathroom and erupted into tears. She shared:
"I felt naked, exposed, vulnerable. I felt embarrassed. I felt ashamed. I felt betrayed. And then I also felt that I was participating in a cultural betrayal because of all of the little girls who look up to me, take selfies with me, and hashtag 'twist nation'. I felt like I owed all of those little girls an explanation. My husband says that I don't and that everything doesn't have to be political, but the reality is that I'm Black and I'm a Black woman and I'm a Black woman in politics. Everything that I do is political."
It is for this reason that Ayanna has come forward with her story and let her bald beauty shine. For Ayanna, being transparent about her battle has catalyzed her healing in a way she couldn't have imagined.
"This is my official public revealing. I'm ready now because I want to be freed from the secret and the shame that secret carries with it. And because I'm not here just to occupy space, I'm here to create it and I want to be free. I am making peace with having alopecia. I have not arrived there. I am very early in my alopecia journey, but I'm making progress every day. And that's why I'm doing this today. It's about self-agency. It's about power. It's about acceptance. Right now on this journey, when I feel the most unlike myself is what I am wearing, a wig. So I think that means I'm on my way."
To watch the full clip, click here!
Featured image screengrab via The Root.
- Alopecia: Ayanna Pressley publicly reveals struggle with alopecia ... ›
- Video: Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley Reveals She Has ... ›
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley reveals she has alopecia and lost her hair in ... ›
- Ayanna Pressley opens up about having alopecia for first time ... ›
- Video: Ayanna Pressley reveals she has alopecia and is bald ›
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley Discusses Alopecia, Reveals Baldness In ... ›
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley reveals she has alopecia in powerful video ... ›
- Ayanna Pressley Opens Up About Living With Alopecia and Hair ... ›
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley reveals she has alopecia, debuts bald head ›
- Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley reveals she has alopecia ... ›
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
ItGirl In Motion: Paige Shari Addison Shows Us Why She's The Hostess With The Mostess
Paige Shari Addison is the epitome of an ItGirl, which is why she is one of 100 ladies on xoNecole's inaugural ItGirl 100 list in partnership with Hyundai. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Paige started her journey as a host in high school by hosting parties. Since then, she has made a career in hosting, from parties to big-name events, and she launched Strictly RNB, a platform for new artists and R&B lovers. Paige reflects on her creative path in the limited video series "ItGirl in Motion."
“My first curated event at Criminal Records was incredible. It was all for up-and-coming artists,” she says. “I needed a platform for us as a collective to be able to give ourselves the platform instead of asking for it, instead of looking for it. I was like, I want to make sure I let people get this experience that I would give as a performer but enjoy the experience with them. It was a dream come true.”
The Atlanta native also has her own line of acai bowls called Soulfull Bowls. She started it during the pandemic after events and parties shut down. But it was her love for eating acai bowls and the reactions others had to them that made her want to make it her next business move. Being open to creating new ventures in the midst of uncertainty is a bold move and one of the reasons why Paige has the “it” factor.
“Being an ItGirl means you’re just authentic. There’s an air to us. We have confidence that exudes from the way we speak, the way we put our lip gloss on, the way we walk, the way we talk. I show up as myself everytime I walk into a room. I’m hospitable, I make sure everybody’s good,” she says.
Get to know more about the hostess with the mostess in the video above.
See our ItGirl 100 list in full here. Click through the gallery below for some BTS moments of Paige and our partnership with Hyundai.
Director: Mikkoh @mikkoh
Production company: @polly___studio
Producer/AD: Samuel Cho @choboi90
Producer/Tech: Paul Nguyen @paul__winn
DP: Cristian Bernal @cristianbernal
Editor: @30inthemorning
2nd Cam: Paul Nguyen
1st AC: AJ Paug @ajpaug Gaffer: Dennis Albert @dennisalbert_
Audio Mixer: Victor Chavez @vic_the__
PA: Rick Carreno @ispeakrick
PA: Tiffany Do @tivani.doee
BTS Photo: Prime @theartofprime
Car Detail: @sud_studs @slugglobal
Creative Director @hellobosco
Team Lead @kevgumbo3000
Project Manager @zakk_jullot
Creative Producer @iamkingsheyla
Designers @miacolemxn @noelspiva
@xoNecole
Director, Integrated Marketing @_vang
Campaign Manager @kingchachiii
Talent Lead @kaylawalker
Feature image by Prime/ @theartof prime