The milestones continue to pour in for Becoming, the bestselling memoir published last year to critical acclaim by former first lady Michelle Obama. The intimate read that details our Forever First Lady’s Chicago childhood, Ivy League education, her courtship with former President Obama and their eight years in the White House remains No. 1 on Amazon’s list of best-selling books after two months, marking the longest streak for any book in the top-selling spot since Fifty Shades of Grey in 2012. This is the longest-ever streak for a political manuscript or public figure memoir, CNN reported, based on Amazon data.
Michelle Obama doesn't care if you call her bossy. In fact, the former first lady encourages young women and girls to be proud of being labeled as such.
Last year in Madrid, during a tour to promote her Let Girls Learn initiative, Obama discussed the importance of breaking down gender norms.
"It means telling your sons that it's okay to cry, and your daughters that it's okay to be bossy," Obama said in the speech, as reported by Harper's Bazaar.
Obama dismissed the bossy stereotype again last year while discussing the obstacles she faced as a young girl, at a speech in Argentina for the same initiative.
In the speech, she said that she's dealt with "teachers who didn't think I was smart enough and would call on the boys instead of the girls, even though the girls had better grades."
As she got older, Obama said that she had to deal with being sexualized by men who would catcall her as if she were an object or a piece of property to be commented on. This, she said, led to self-doubt....
First Lady Michelle Obama describes the first time she stood up to someone on behalf of someone else, her grandmother. She told her grandfather who was more than a bit of a bully, to stop yelling at her grandmother all the time --at four years old.
And she supported by her parents.
As very small children, both Michelle Obama and Tracee Ellis Ross (Feminist, Actress from BLACKISH) were allowed to talk and express opinions contrary to adults in a respectful way. The respect flowed both ways in their households, from child to parent and parent to child.
Furthermore, Michelle seems to describe an upbringing by mother and father that was fairly feminist. She then goes on to describe what investment in children really looks like.
I wanted to cry when she started talking directly to children who aren't waking up in a household where they are not supported or not supported well. She talks directly children who wake up every morning thinking "It's not me" [who is off]. She was describing my childhood at one point.
A FEW QUOTES MICHELLE OBAMA:"PRACTICE WHO YOU WANT TO BE EVERY SINGLE DAY" MICHELLE OBAMA'S MAMA (second hand quote)"I'M NOT RAISING CHILDREN. I'M RAISING ADULTS."
MICHELLE OBAMA: WE'RE STILL TOO GRATEFUL TO BE AT THE TABLE TO SHAKE IT UP
Video (you can listen to it in the background as you go about your day)
Michelle Obama & Tracee Ellis Ross in Michelle Conversation at The 2018 United State of Women Summit
MICHELLE OBAMA: "MEN HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY....YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. YOU CAN'T WHISPER THESE MAGICAL THOUGHTS IN YOUR DAUGHTERS EAR ABOUT WHO SHE CAN BE AND WHAT SHE CAN DO... [THEN LOOK THE OTHER WAY, THEN NOT WORK TO CHANGE YOUR OWN WORKPLACE] THAT'S THE WORKPLACE THAT'S GOING TO BE WAITING ON YOUR LITTLE GIRL
A few weeks ago, a black woman was cutting a black man's hair here in the United States. And he started pontificating on how black women are letting the black community down by getting educations and pursuing careers.
Keep that in mind as you listen to this speech. Because it is not just tiny little unsophisticated countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia that don't want to let girls learn.
There are men here in the United States -- including the white hoteps in the White House -- that are dedicated to the oppression of women who often use hard gender roles to justify their desire to make a bridge out of women's backs so that they can get to their non-existent (toxic) masculinity.
Listen to the love Michelle Obama has for black girls world wide. The video below is only 17 minutes. The transcript is available here too.
From 2015
Transcript
Now, I imagine that some of you might be wondering, well, why would the First Lady of the United States come here to Tower Hamlets? Why would she choose this community and this school when she could be anywhere in this city or in this entire country? And the answer is simple: I’m here because of you. I’m here because girls like you inspire me and impress me every single day. I am so proud of your passion, your diligence; as Dr. Ogden said, your grit, your determination. And I am beyond thrilled that you are working so hard to complete your education. It is so important.
VIDEO: 17 minutes
Transcript Continued:
And I’m here because when I look out at all of these young women, I see myself. I may come from a country that’s an ocean away, but -- I’m a bit older than you all. (Laughter.) Yes, I am. I know I don’t look it. (Laughter.) But I’m just a little older. But in so many ways, your story is my story.
For those of you who may not know much about my background, I grew up in a working-class neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago -- a neighborhood a lot like this one, where people work hard to make ends meet, but where families are tight-knit with strong values. My dad worked as a pump operator at the city water plant, and my mom stayed home to take care of me and my big brother Craig.
We lived in a really small apartment. And my brother and I shared a bedroom that was divided in half by a wooden partition, giving us each our own little, tiny rooms that fit just a twin bed and a small desk. So we didn’t have much space, but we had a whole lot of love.
And, perhaps like a lot of you, we grew up surrounded by our extended family. I had grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins living just blocks away from my family’s apartment, and my great aunt and uncle actually lived one floor below in the same apartment house. So our home was often busy with family coming and going. And because our apartment was so small, there wasn’t much privacy. I can remember how hard it was to concentrate on my homework because someone was always talking or watching TV right next to you.
I often woke up at 4:00 in the morning when the house was finally quiet just so that I could concentrate on and finish my schoolwork. I remember just dreaming of having a space of my own, away from all the family obligations that were always popping up.
As my great aunt and uncle grew older, my parents took charge of caring for them. My dad would help my uncle shave and get dressed each morning, and my mom would dash downstairs in the middle of the night to make sure that my aunt was okay. So we constantly felt the struggle to balance our family responsibilities and the schoolwork, the activities, and the goals that we had for ourselves.
And through it all, my parents fully expected us to do both -- to achieve our dreams, and be there for our family. And they also knew that a good education was the ultimate key to our success. My parents told me every day I could do anything -- I could grow up to be a doctor, a lawyer, a scientist, whatever -- but only if I worked as hard as I could to succeed in school.
I imagine that many of you have parents who give you the exact same advice. And like you, I didn’t want to let my parents down. So I worked hard in school. I read everything I could get my hands on. I did my absolute very best on every single assignment. I did everything in my power to be a good student. I dreamed of one day going to one of the best universities in America.
But despite my efforts, there were still people in my life who told me that I was setting my sights too high; that a girl like me couldn’t get into an elite university. It was like these folks were trying to put me in a little box –- a box that fit their constrained expectations of me. And after a while, I started to wonder, well, maybe I was dreaming too big. What if these folks were right?
See, back then, I didn’t know what my future held. I didn’t know that I’d be accepted to a top university. I didn’t know that I’d go on to get a law degree and become an NGO director, and a hospital executive, and, eventually, First Lady of the United States. Those kinds of achievements seemed totally out of reach when I was your age. I was just a working-class kid from a good community with limited resources.
Neither of my parents and hardly anyone in my neighborhood went to university. And I wasn’t even sure if my family could afford the tuition. I didn’t have anyone to help me study for entrance exams. And the fact that I was a girl and that I was black -- well, that certainly didn’t help things, either. When I was growing up, there were very few black women at high levels in business, or politics, or science, on TV, so I didn’t have many professional role models to look up to.
And I have a feeling that my experience might feel similar or familiar to some of you. Maybe you look at the leaders in your businesses and laboratories and government and wonder whether there’s a place for someone like you. Maybe you’ve heard about the kinds of tutors and prep courses and other advantages that wealthier students can afford, and you wonder how you ever will compete. Maybe you feel like no one’s paying attention to you, like you’re lost in the shuffle at home or in this huge city, and you wonder whether it’s worth it to even aspire to be something great. And maybe you read the news and hear what folks are saying about your religion, and you wonder if people will ever see beyond your headscarf to who you really are -– instead of being blinded by the fears and misperceptions in their own minds.
And I know how painful and how frustrating all of that can be. I know how angry and exhausted it can make you feel. But here’s the thing -- with an education from this amazing school, you all have everything -- everything -- you need to rise above all of the noise and fulfill every last one of your dreams.
And it is so important that you do that, not just for yourselves, but for all of us. Because you all have a unique perspective. You have a unique voice to add to the conversation. You know what it’s like when a family struggles to make ends meet. You know what it’s like to be overlooked and underestimated because of who you are or what you believe in or where you come from.
And the world needs more girls like you growing up to lead our parliaments and our board rooms and our courtrooms and our universities. We need you. We need people like you tackling the pressing problems we face -– climate change and poverty, violent extremism, disease.
And while all of that might sound a little daunting, I just want you to remember that you don’t have to do this alone. There are millions of people like me and my husband, Dr. Ogden, and so many leaders here in the United Kingdom and all around the world who are standing with you. We are doing everything we can to break down the barriers that stand in your way. We want to make sure that every door is open to girls like you, and not just here in England, not just in America, but in every corner of the globe. And that starts with making sure that every girl on this planet has the kinds of opportunities you all have to get the education and to succeed.
As you’ve heard, right now there are more than 62 million girls around the world who are not in school -- girls whose families don’t think they’re worthy of an education, or they can’t afford it. Girls who live too far away from the nearest school and have no transportation. Girls like Malala Yousafzai who are assaulted, kidnapped, or killed just for trying to learn.
And this isn’t just a devastating loss for these girls, it’s a devastating loss for all of us who are missing out on their promise. One of these girls could have the potential to cure cancer, or start a business that transforms an industry, or become the next president or prime minister who inspires her country. But if she never sets foot in a classroom, chances are she will never discover or fulfill that potential.
And that’s one of the reasons why I’ve traveled here to the UK –- because for so long, this country has been doing such wonderful work to support adolescent girls’ education around the world. We’ve been working hard in the United States as well, and earlier this year, the United States increased our own efforts in this area by launching, as you heard, our new initiative called Let Girls Learn to help girls in developing countries go to school, and, more importantly, stay in school.
And I am so thrilled that today, our two countries are announcing a series of new partnerships that total nearly $200 million to help girls like you all of you get the education they deserve. We’re going to be working together to support young people –- particularly adolescent girls -– in areas affected by conflict and crisis, like the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Our universities and development agencies are going to team up to research ways to improve education for girls. And American Peace Corps volunteers and the UK's Campaign for Female Education are going to work together with local communities in developing countries to lift up adolescent girls’ education as well.
So I am very proud of the work that we’re doing together. And I’m especially proud to be announcing these new commitments here in London, because this city was the first stop on my very first international trip as First Lady. And during my time here, I visited with the girls from Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School -– a school a lot like this one –- and I know that there are some of the students here today -- yes, there you go. (Laughter.)
And as I stood before that roomful of girls six years ago, all I could think about was how much promise they each had inside of them, how much passion and hope and intelligence each of them could bring to our world. And in many ways, those girls were the inspiration for so much of my work as First Lady -– work to give girls like them, and like you, and like those 62 million girls around the world the opportunities you deserve.
And now, today, being back here in London, looking out at all of your faces, I’m once again filled with the same feeling I had six years ago. I see a roomful of business leaders and surgeons and barristers. I see women who are going to win elections, and science competitions, and arts awards. I see leaders who will inspire folks not just here in Tower Hamlets, but all across the country and all around the world.
That’s what I see. Because I know what’s inside of girls like you and like me. I know how hard we’ll fight for our families, how deeply we care about our communities, how much of a difference we can make for those around us. And I have seen it again and again and again that what our parents told us really is true –- that if we get our education, we can do anything. We can lift up ourselves to heights we could never imagine. We can pay forward all of the love and support that our families have poured into us. And we can truly be, as Dr. Ogden says, “builders of a new day.” That is your work. That’s my hope for you.
So I want to thank you all for hosting me and making me feel so loved. I’m so proud of you. So now, we’re going to talk, okay? (Laughter.) You guys ready for some conversation?
Turns out everyone in President Obama's family does an impression of him, usually at the dinner table. But the leader of the free world would rather gossip.
You can skip to the end to listen to Michelle Obama's short message to the young. But first, I want to make sure the true background of this particular exit speech is clear since the predominantly white main stream press has a habit of normalizing the president elect and legitimizing his white followers.
The outcome of this last election was about patriarchal white racism.
While white people, right and left, try to pretend that the 57% of white people that voted for Don The Con were all of this newly defined "working class" whether they work for minimum wage or 500K a year; had a high school degree, a 2 year degree, 3/4s of a bachelors, or a masters degree in rocket science; or making on average 72,000 a year, people of color know better. Black and brown folks know this "economic panic" only experienced by 57% of white people is a lie.
If the white "working class" economic panic lie wasn't a lie, a heck of a lot more than 4% of black women and 13% of black men would voted for the Orange Dragon. Black and brown folks have had to think about ignoring the racism coming out of the mouths of white candidates in favor of their wallets during every single election there ever was prior to 2008 -- when they were allowed to vote, anyway. If the hardly-racism-free Hillary Clinton had looked like she was going to knock the house down and leave us all, including black and brown folk, broke, in foreclosure, and homeless, a heck of a lot more black and brown folk would have voted for Trump or not voted at all. That didn't happen because the economic panic theory built to protect white people from the knowledge of their own white racism is a lie. White people voted in favor of white patriarchal ethnoracism spouted by Trump. That's the entire story.
Those white people that don't like the KKK-in-your-face type racism are lying to themselves about caring about human beings that don't look like their white me-and-mine. They are aligned with the KKK because one or some of 10 forms of white racism spewed by The Orange Dragon appealed to them or at the very least appalled them so very little that they were able to vote on this single issue or that other single issue -- pretending that white racism hasn't killed before, hasn't killed lately, and won't kill again.
The white people who voted for Trump are the ones confused by their own racism into thinking "Black Lives Matter" means "Black Lives Matter Only" instead of "Black Lives Matter TOO!" Most black and brown people know what Donald Trump message is. Lady Michelle, as I shall call her from now on, knows what the message was too.
Lady Michelle and President Obama may truly believe or may be forced to pretend to politically believe that the 57% of white people that voted their white racism aren't representative of 57% of all white people, or even think the 57% of white people are still "confused" 50 years after anybody has a right to be confused due to The Civil Rights Movement. However, she definitely knows Don The Con repeated said and implied that black, brown, immigrants, Muslims, LGBTQ, and trans folk do not REALLY belong in this country. Lady Michelle knows Trumps message was really, "Let's Make America White Again."
That's why FLOTUS is making one of her final messages to the young, up and coming adults, "We all belong here. This country belongs to all of us."
This is The First of Four Thank You Letters to Michelle Obama Written by Feminist & Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
From The NYT A REPOST
She had rhythm, a flow and swerve, hands slicing air, body weight moving from foot to foot, a beautiful rhythm. In anything else but a black American body, it would have been contrived. The three-quarter sleeves of her teal dress announced its appropriateness, as did her matching brooch. But the cut of the dress scorned any “future first lady” stuffiness; it hung easy on her, as effortless as her animation. […]
She first appeared in the public consciousness, all common sense and mordant humor, at ease in her skin. She had the air of a woman who could balance a checkbook, and who knew a good deal when she saw it, and who would tell off whomever needed telling off. She was tall and sure and stylish. She was reluctant to be first lady, and did not hide her reluctance beneath platitudes. She seemed not so much unique as true. She sharpened her husband’s then-hazy form, made him solid, more than just a dream. […]
The story of her life as she told it was wholesomely American, drenched in nostalgia: a father who worked shifts and a mother who stayed home, an almost mythic account of self-reliance, of moderation, of working-class contentment. But she is also a descendant of slaves, those full human beings considered human fractions by the American state. […]
She was informal, colloquial, her sentences bookended by the word “see,” a conversational fillip that also strangely felt like a mark of authenticity. She seemed genuine. She was genuine. All over America, black women were still, their eyes watching a form of God, because she represented their image writ large in the world. […]
Her speech was vibrant, a success. But there was, in her eyes and beneath her delivery and in her few small stumbles, a glimpse of something somber. A tight, dark ball of apprehension. As though she feared eight years of holding her breath, of living her life with a stone in her gut. […]
Her daughters were grown. She had shielded them and celebrated them, and they appeared in public always picture perfect, as though their careful grooming was a kind of reproach. She had called herself mom-in-chief, and cloaked in that nonthreatening title, had done what she cared about. […]
She had become an American style icon. Her dresses and workouts. Her carriage and curves. Toned arms and long slender fingers. Even her favored kitten heels, for women who cannot fathom wearing shoes in the halfway house between flats and high heels, have earned a certain respect because of her. No public figure better embodies that mantra of full female selfhood: Wear what you like. […]
Michelle Obama was speaking. I realized then that she hadn’t been waiting to exhale these past eight years. She had been letting that breath out, in small movements, careful because she had to be, but exhaling still.
