Political hair speaks volumes, and at the nominating conventions, every finely combed message is highlighted by the color, cut, and plasticity of the speaker's thatch. Temple faculty member Lori Tharps, author of Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, decoded Condoleezza Rice's hair. "Her hairstyle is seemingly as rigid as she appears to be," Tharps said. "Her hair doesn't move and you get the idea that she's kind of immovable. A straight-shooter. No fun or frivolity."