Amanda Gorman took to the stage as the youngest inaugural poet in US history to recite her poem "The Hill We Climb," and the world was captivated. Her words were moving, her outfit was beautiful, and her braids were iconic.
While headbands are usually a preppy accessory, Amanda's oversize, padded Prada version (in a shade fabulously named "fiery red") looked more like a crown perched high on her braids. And the significance of her beautiful braids cannot be undersold. Black women are often criticized for wearing their hair in braids and natural styles, especially in politics (see: US Representative Ayanna Pressley's story about being discouraged for wearing her hair in Senegalese twists or the backlash 11- year-old Malia Obama faced when she wore her hair in twists instead of straightening it). The gravity and importance of seeing Amanda wearing her hair in braids during an illustrious, joyous moment on the national stage was a reminder of how much representation matters.
