Aww. Melissa Harris-Perry is on maternity leave from The Melissa Harris-Perry Show and recently tweeted this photograph with her natural hair as well as tweeted one when the baby first arrived. She had a gestational carrier (she had fibroids and then a hysterectomy; she retained her ovaries so she was able to have biologically matched embryos; she shared this information publicly already) for this baby and also has a 12 year old daughter named Parker. In her own words from How We Made Our Miracle:

My pregnancy with my first daughter was blessedly uneventful; this one, however, was indeed an event. It took two families, three states, four doctors, and five attorneys to get this little girl here. And while our gestational carrier has no genetic tie to our little one, she is now our family. She gave our daughter love, safety, and nourishment for nine months. On Valentine’s Day, she gave her life and placed her in our arms. Her immediate and extended families have supported all of us along the way. They crowded the hospital room this weekend and shared in our joy. We are all bonded for life and our daughter has a bevy of grandparents, aunties, and siblings tied to her by blood and love.

In reference to her natural hair comment above and beauty politics, she has a good essay on Slate about her experience with natural hair and her hair in general over her lifetime: I Remember Every Hairdo I’ve Had in 40 Years; Because Black Hair Is A Big Deal. True! I also remember every hairdo of my own.

I’m happy for her and her family and look forward to whenever she’s back on her show. ❤