In 2009, a five-year-old boy named Jacob Philadelphia quietly asked President Obama, “I want to know if your hair is like mine.”
In response, the President lowered his head and said, “Why don’t you touch it and see for yourself?” Michelle Obama described the moment as symbolizing the progress made in the African-American struggle for civil rights.
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| By Pete Souza - White House Flickr Account, Public Domain, |
The photograph, titled Hair Like Mine and captured by Pete Souza, was recognized as “iconic” by Time. It was taken in the White House, where Pete served as the Chief Official White House Photographer.
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For Jacob, his friends would often tell him that his haircut was just like the President’s. This explains why he wanted to check it out through experiential touch.
The photograph later remained permanently on display at the White House. Michelle told her audience, “I want you to think of that little Black boy in the Oval Office of the White House touching the head of the first Black president.”
Jacob’s father later told The New York Times in 2012, “It’s important for Black children to see a Black man as president. You can believe that any position is possible to achieve if you see a Black person in it.”
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| President Obama and Jacob meet again on a video conference in 2022. |
In 2022, President Obama was reunited with Jacob after 13 years, as Jacob graduated high school and continued to study political science. “I couldn’t be more proud of him,” said Obama.
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