Michelle Obama changed the landscape for African American girls like me because she knew her own value

When I met the First Lady and thanked her for her hard work, I'll never forget what she said to me in reply

Imani Brooks
Tuesday 26 July 2016 13:44 BST
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Michelle Obama impressed members with a passionate speech as she endorsed Hillary Clinton's candidacy
Michelle Obama impressed members with a passionate speech as she endorsed Hillary Clinton's candidacy

At school, I was always compared to Michelle Obama, either through compliments or literally by being cast as her in a school play. Maybe comparisons were made because I was the only African American girl in my grade and she was the only strong, black woman my white peers could ever think of. Or maybe I actually did deserve the comparisons because I have managed to replicate her humbleness, determination and spirit. I’ll never really know.

Either way, my First Lady shaped my high school years, transforming me into the young adult I am today with enough confidence to believe I will change the world. I learned that dignity and decency are goals to strive for because “how hard you work matters more than how much you make [and] helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself". At the United State of Women, it clicked why I was so drawn to Obama: she knew her own value. As she stated in her USOW conversation with Oprah, it’s the simple key to success. Her unwavering confidence is rooted in her values. Tapping into that confidence allows her to disregard haters without resorting to bitterness. I strive to achieve that admirable feat.

It was through her dedication to girls’ education and my advocacy for adolescent girls' rights that I had the pleasure of meeting the First Lady at the 2015 Girl Up Leadership Summit. During the few seconds I got with her, I hugged her and relayed my gratitude – it hasn’t been easy for her to be a boombox for the marginalised. I distinctly remember those moments – the warmness of her hug and the sincerity in her reply: “Oh you’re so welcome. Sometimes we just need to hear certain words to keep us moving.”

In 2009, it wasn’t the first African American president who left me in awe. While I did applaud Barack Obama on that frigid January day for making history at his presidential inauguration, I was much more intrigued by his wife in her bright yellow suit with her wide smile. Her demeanor said, "I may not be the figure in the Oval Office, but I am much more than just the woman beside the man." She was a formidable force in the White House, using her platform tirelessly for good with such movements as the Let’s Move campaign and Let Girls Learn initiative. Over the years, magazines such as Vogue, Essence, and Time have featured this member of American royalty on their covers.

Michelle Obama ringing endorsement for a first female President in Hillary Clinton

Encouragingly, the interviews inside these magazines highlighted her brilliance as a two-time Ivy League graduate, an activist for accessible higher education and her magnificence as a mother. This stood in stark contrast to other press coverage which focused on attempting to tear her down over fashion choices. With confidence and ease, she has navigated a media landscape which is all too often unkind to women and even less kind to African American women.

Why anyone would attack the gorgeous and graceful Michelle Obama is beyond me, but I can speculate. Some do it because two terms of a Democratic presidency is just too much. And some do it because they are so infuriated by a black family having the title of First Family in America.

As the turbulent presidential election comes to a close and the reality of an Obama-less White House sinks in, my love for Michelle Obama continues. Hearing her Democratic National Convention speech last night touched my soul deeply. I listened and felt the Black Girl Magic swell up inside. Her legacy will continue long after she leaves Pennsylvania Avenue because it empowers me. She has made me proud to be an African American woman, and for that I have to thank her.

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