Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Unapologetically Visited the Hairdresser Amid COVID-19

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot got her hair tangled in politics last week. The Hill reported that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot visited her hairdresser to get her hair trimmed which goes against the city’s COVID-19 shelter-in-place mandate. The mandate was instituted on March 21 by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and is effective until April 7. The closures of barbershops and hair salons were included in that mandate.

After receiving a haircut, Lightfoot was tagged in a Facebook post (which included a photo) being thanked by her stylist for her leadership and support, which caused people to raise an eyebrow.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Mayor Lori Lightfoot told Chicago residents, “getting your roots done is not essential.” Yet as a public figure, Lightfoot stands firm on showing up as her best and most presentable self.

In a public response, Lightfoot said “I’m in the public every day and candidly, my hair was not looking the way it did,” she said. “I thought I would do it myself but I thought it would be a disaster. So I got a haircut.”

Lightfoot also assured people that the woman cutting her hair took safety precautions by wearing gloves and a face mask.

She went on to say, “I’m the public face of this city,” she said. “I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye. I’m a person who takes their personal hygiene very seriously.”

Due to COVID-19, many businesses and employees have been impacted by the shift to the economy, people have lost their lives, and millions of people are adapting to their new normal. And Lightfoot believes that those disparities should remain the focus.

“We’re talking about people dying here. We’re talking about significant health disparities. I think that’s what people care most about,” Lightfoot said.

And while most agree, there are others who are watching and criticizing Lightfoot’s every move.

A known critic of Lightfoot, Alderman Carlos Ramirez tweeted, “She is under no obligation to look good on national TV. She is under no obligation to book national interviews. But she is under an obligation to follow and promote social distancing in order to save lives. This is a bad example for our city.”

Whether you agree with Lightfoot’s decision or not, practicing social distancing is in the best interest of America as healthcare workers work to flatten the COVID-19 curve.

To read more about how COVID-19 is impacting the community, click here.