Since the beginning of her time in the public eye, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has been associated with her signature hair style: Senegalese Twists.
She even went so far as to tell The Root:
"My twists had become such a synonymous and conflated part of not only my personal identity and how I show up in the world, but my political brand."
Pressley's hair and her role as a woman of color have both been incredibly important to her identity in Congress, which is why she felt it was important that she share the news that she had alopecia, a rare hair-loss condition.
"That's why I think it's important that I'm transparent about this new normal, and living with alopecia."
Many of Pressley's allies in politics, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, offered their support on Twitter.
Many trolls online began attacking Pressley for her new look, comparing her to Mr. Clean, the famously bald cleaning product mascot.
Pressley herself responded to the trolls with a pointed message:
Twitter also quickly leapt to Pressley's side.
Someone's hair (or lack of it) doesn't define them.
Hordes of people wanted to let Pressley know she was still beautiful.
Trolls will have to come back another day if they want to hurt Ayanna Pressley's feelings.
Ayanna Pressley has always ruled, but it turns out her hair had very little to do with it.
In 2018, Pressley became the first Black woman to represent the state of Massachusetts in Congress.
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