TradeEdge Exchange:Kamala Harris’ silk press shines: The conversation her hair is starting about Black women in politics

In the five years that Tiffany Posh has been doing hair for Black women in metro Washington,TradeEdge Exchange D.C., she's never had so many of them refer to her signature silk press as "presidential."

Posh, who calls herself the "healthy hair doctor," has a luxurious multi-step service that includes a wash, repair treatment, and the silky, bouncy hairstyle that leaves her clients smiling in the chair.

"My hair is looking presidential," a client recently told Posh after she completed their hair.

That's because Vice President Kamala Harris has been driving the demand at her Columbia, Maryland, salon ever since she took over as the Democratic presidential nominee last month.

Her high-end clientele consists of professional women, including some who work for the government.

“I've been doing silk presses for years. My clients have already always had the ‘presidential hair,'” she continued. However, with Harris now at the forefront, “it's bringing attention to other people, and they want to have that prestige, as well.”

The trend has been spreading like wildfire in other salons online. Hairstylists and content creators across the country have been sharing their interpretations of the popular look on TikTok. 

What is a silk press?

The silk press is a popular hairstyle in the African American community. It involves straightening hair without chemicals, making it "sleek and shiny," Posh said. The technique dates back to the early 1900s, as reported by the online beauty platform Byrdie, as Black women grappled with extreme racism when seeking employment.

People are drawn to Harris's hair because it “feels familiar,” said Nadia E. Brown, a professor of Government at Georgetown University in D.C., and co-author of “Sister Style: The Politics of Appearance for Black Women Political Elites."

“I believe the silk press is a really simple, easy, everyday go-to hairstyle for that professional woman in the office and on the go,” Posh said.

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Harris revealed her secret to her perfect silk press

All eyes were on the Democratic National Convention when Kamala Harris accepted the party nomination in late August. The vice president wore a navy pantsuit, with her hair perfectly swooped to the side as she stood behind the podium.

Since she entered the mainstream political arena, people have admired her hair. Whether it's a campaign stop or a speaking engagement, people on social media have pointed out that no strand is out of place. 

“It's also an iconic look, particularly for millennials and Gen Xers who grew up watching ‘The Cosby Show,’” Brown explained. “She looks really reminiscent of Clair Huxtable, and that kind of nostalgia for Black women … is palpable. It’s also seen as a classic professional look for people with Afro-textured hair, and her hair is always flawless. I don't ever think she's had one bad hair day.”

Interest in Harris' hair routine grew so much that it came up during a sit-down interview with Keke Palmer last year. On the entertainer's podcast, “Baby, this is Keke Palmer,” Harris revealed her hair secret.

“How many times a month do you get a silk press?” Palmer asked gleefully. 

“I don’t use a curling iron. It’s too much heat,” she revealed. “I use a round brush.”

Harris has been candid about her hair journey. She has rocked braids during her childhood and a big chop during her college years. She decided to grow it in adulthood, particularly when she started holding public office. 

Historically, there has been "a gold standard for what we want Black women politicians to look like, and it's having that Clair Huxtable hairstyle,” said Brown about some voters. "It's that straight hair with a little bump to it and lots of movement that says peak Black woman, professional. Kamala Harris, she has that look, so people are drawn to that."

The reality of Black hair in politics

Amid praise of Harris’ mane, discourse about the politics of Black hair also came. During her speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, Michelle Obama notably wore a side-part braided ponytail − a shift from the usual silk press she had in the White House.

“Mrs. Obama has been wearing braids for a few years, but this is the first time she has worn them at a major political speech,” her hairstylist, Njeri Radway, told Vogue, adding that “the goal for her hairstyle was to showcase a sleek and powerful look − something to mirror her speech, both powerful and soft.”

In 2022, Obama shared that she wanted to wear braids while residing on Pennsylvania Avenue but decided not to because Americans were not ready, especially as they were “getting adjusted” to the first Black president, according to The Washington Post. Additionally, she wanted the focus to be on the administration’s policies, not her hairstyle. 

"It's super important to take these kind of conversations out of just Black girl spaces and put them on a national platform," Brown said. "Michelle Obama, being free to talk about her hair is really important because it's bringing in people who already like her ... (and) explaining some things about Black girls that they would have never have known."

According to a 2023 CROWN Workplace study by Dove and LinkedIn, 66% of Black women said they change their hair for a job interview. The research noted that Black women are more likely to face microaggressions at work when their hair is curly or kinky rather than straight.

Other politicians have opened up about the pressures of their appearance while doing their job. During an interview with NPR, Missouri congresswoman Cori Bush recalled deciding to wear her hair in a protective straight style during her initial days on Capitol Hill when she preferred braids.

“I just put some microlinks in it just to … add length and add a little more thickness to it. But, you know, even that, just wearing it straight… every day it just felt like, ugh, ”Bush said. “Not quite right. Like, I didn't totally feel my authentic self.”

In an interview with The Root in 2020, Ayanna Pressley revealed that she suffers from alopecia, or hair loss. As an elected official, she wore protective hairstyles like wigs and Senegalese twists.

"My twists have became such a synonymous and conflated part of not only my personal identity and how I show up in the world but my political brand," she said at the time. "That's why I think it's important that I'm transparent about this new normal and living with alopecia." 

Pressley's husband told her that she doesn't owe anyone an explanation. Still, she insisted on telling her story, "The reality is I'm Black, and I'm a Black woman, and I'm a Black woman in politics, and everything I do is political."

Women of all ages are embracing the silk press

With cooler weather underway, Posh said that her appointment schedule is mostly booked until November. She anticipates doing silk presses back to back.

"With the fall season coming up and this presidential election, there's a lot of people wearing a silk press," she said. "It's a good time to be in the industry right now."

Her clients are, on average, in their 40s, but she said there has been a renewed interest in the silk press among women in their 20s.

"After they get their hair done, they're like, 'I feel grown. I feel important. I feel like a woman with this hairstyle,'" Posh said. "They feel good that they're embracing their own hair."

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].