Former First Lady Michelle Obama opened up about how she navigated being a Black woman in The White House earlier this week.

On Tuesday, the poignant conversation took place in Washington D.C., where the former first lady kicked off her national book tour for “The Light We Carry.”

She and Ellen Degeneres candidly spoke about her experiences of being authentically Black and enduring the challenges she faced as a woman who had to maintain a certain image. Obama, who rocked braids, on the tour joked that she would have been called a “terrorist” had she worn braids in The White House.

“Remember when she wore braids? Those are terrorist braids! Those are revolutionary braids!”

Obama revealed that she played the game in order to help Americans.

“Let me keep my hair straight. Let’s get health care passed.”

She also expressed that the masses weren’t “ready” to see a Black woman in her natural glory.

“They ain’t ready for it! The code of ethics at a workplace, as Black women, we deal with it, the whole thing about do you show up with your natural hair?” the 58-year-old attorney and advocate told Degeneres.

More details on the criticism

She continued to detail the criticism she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, faced while he served two terms as the commander-in-chief.

“They tripped out when Barack wore a tan suit,” she said, referencing her husband’s decision to opt out of the standard navy or black suit in 2014. “The great indignity, the scandal of the Obama administration.”

“That’s the African American experience,” the dedicated wife and mother expressed, detailing a truth that so many Black Americans face today– especially women. “But women in offices that are worried, ‘Should I wear skirts? Should I wear pantyhose?’ I hate pantyhose. But when you’re carrying all this other stuff, this mask, these differences, and you’re trying to do your job. It’s just an extra burden on overcoming.”