Michelle Obama says 'thought about' wearing braids as first lady, but U.S. wasn't 'ready' for it

Former first lady Michelle Obama say she refrained from styling her hair naturally while living at the White House, arguing that Americans would have been made uneasy by the sight. 

Obama, the country's first African-America first lady, made the comment at an event Tuesday in Washington, D.C., promoting her latest book, "The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times." 

"As black women we deal with it, the whole thing about do you show up with your natural hair?" she told event host Ellen DeGeneres

"As first lady, I did not wear braids," she said. "Yeah, we had to ease up on the people ... I was like, it would be easier. Nope, nope. They’re not ready.”

Her husband, Barack Obama, was the country's first black president. The Obama lived at the White House from 2009 until 2016, when Obama complete his two-term limit.