Barack Obama invites first black Miss Israel to dinner

[babylonsister]

Smell some roses; this is nice.


Barack Obama invites first black Miss Israel to dinner

Yityish Aynaw, the first Ethiopian-born pageant winner, said the US president had been a 'notable influence in her life'

Phoebe Greenwood, Tel Aviv
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 13 March 2013 15.30 EDT

Yityish Aynaw Miss Israel President Obama

Yityish Aynaw arrived in Israel from Ethiopia when she was 12 years old and admitted it was initially difficult for her to assimilate into Israeli society. Photograph: Avishag Shar Yashuv/EPA


It will be one of the hottest tickets in town. When the US president, Barack Obama, arrives in Israel on an official visit next week, one of the highlights for the country's dignatries will be a dinner hosted at Israeli president Shimon Peres's home. And among those set to dine with the two presidents is the first black Miss Israel, Yityish Aynaw.

When the president's staff called to invite her to the dinner, Aynaw, who was crowned just a few weeks ago, was understandably taken aback. "I didn't believe this was happening," she told the Jerusalem Post.

snip//

On learning that she would be dining with the US president alongside the Israeli leadership, Aynaw admitted that as a young immigrant, she would not have believed "such a thing could happen" to her. Once the news sunk in, however, the 21 year-old former Israeli army officer declared herself "excited" and reasoned: "The first black Miss Israel to be chosen and {Obama} is the first black American President. These goes together."

Obama, she said, has had a "notable influence in her life".

Shortly after winning the title, Aynaw named assassinated US civil rights leader Martin Luther King as one of her heroes: "He fought for justice and equality, and that's one of the reasons I'm here: I want to show that my community has many beautiful qualities that aren't always represented in the media."

more...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/13/president-obama-black-miss-israel

[CTyankee]

1. Ethiopians are known for their beauty in the West. I don't know if that is the correct standard

however, but certainly is it one of them...possibly because Ethiopians have less of an "African" physiogonomy...

I don't know. It seems to me that Africa has a large number of beautiful people...

I tutor people from African nations as a literacy Volunteer and I marvel at the beauty and the excellence of these people. They are extraordinary.

[babylonsister]

2. I was just happy to read President Obama gave this young woman

this opportunity!

[CTyankee]

3. of course! She is wonderful!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. Beauty!

[Third Doctor]

5. She's tall too!

[Cha]

6. I always stop and smell the roses, babylonsistah.. and

thanks for giving us an abundance!

What a wonderfully unique opportunity Yityish Aynaw has been given in her life.

In the course of the Miss Israel competition, Aynaw told the panel of judges: "It's import ant that a member of the Ethiopian community win the competition for the first time. There are many different communities of many different colours in Israel, and it's important to show that to the world."

It's funny when I saw this pic of Michelle today.. I was thinking she looked like an "Ethiopian Queen"..



http://theobamadiary.com/

[66 dmhlt]

7. And if you encounter any snide pushback WRT FLOTUS in Vogue ...

Just remind them that Nancy Reagan ALSO posed for Vogue ... ALSO in the Red Room:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nancy_Reagan_Red_Room_1981.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Reagan