Newsweek: The Meaning of Michelle

[Jackeens]

What Michelle Means to Us


We've never had a First Lady quite like Michelle Obama. How she'll change the world's image of African-American women— and the way we see ourselves.

At a recent Sunday brunch after church, my "sista friends" and I sat on the patio of a Los Angeles restaurant gabbing about the election of Barack Obama. Sure, we were caught up in the history of the moment. Most of us never thought we'd see an African-American president. But as a group of six black women in our 30s and 40s, we were equally excited by who is coming along with Obama to the White House—his wife, Michelle, and their two young daughters. We all praised—OK, maybe even envied—Michelle's double Ivy League pedigree, her style, her cool but friendly demeanor. And yet we're all aware of how much we have riding on her. At 44, Michelle Obama will be the youngest First Lady since Jacqueline Kennedy. And many are expecting her to usher in a similarly glamorous era in Washington. ("Bamelot," as some are already calling it.) But Michelle's influence could go far beyond the superficial. When her husband raises his hand to take the oath of office, Michelle will become the world's most visible African-American woman. The new First Lady will have the chance to knock down ugly stereotypes about black women and educate the world about American black culture more generally. But perhaps more important—even apart from what her husband can do—Michelle has the power to change the way African-Americans see ourselves, our lives and our possibilities.

More.... http://www.newsweek.com/id/170383

[Jennicut]

1. I am a young white mother of two and Michelle will make a wonderful First Lady

She appeals to all. That is why I love the Obamas. They are not a white first family or a black first family, they will simply be THE Fist Family.

[goclark]

2. I am an African American woman and I agree with you

But I think it goes much deeper than that -- I am a woman and I think she does so much for all the delights of being a woman in the 21st Century.

She didn't have to sit and home and bake cookies, unless she wants to do so.

She can earn a living and make more money than her husband, if she wanted to do so.

She can say what she wants, do what she wants and even question what her husband does.

She is no Laura Bush!

She is her own style and proud of it.

She is an excellent mother and wife, smart and sassy.

Can't wait to see her in the WH.

[BlooInBloo]

3. Interesting, but I would expect some pushback from Moseley Braun and the like...

Something along the lines of:

"Are you fucking serious? the horizon that has opened to you is to be the wife of the President? Fuck THAT - there's no reason a black woman shouldn't be PRESIDENT. Holding someone who's role is to be a fashion plate up as an example to young black girls, when we there are black women running for President is really shitty".


Mind you, *I'm* not saying that - I just wouldn't be surprised if there was a little bit of that response.


EDIT: Yah - that article reads like it should be in Cosmo (or Essence, if it matters to the reader) - fashion, flair, fluff. Not what I plan to holding up as a paragon of long-range planning to my daughter (of whatever color).

[Cha]

4. Michelle Obama is going to be a real

First Lady and that's something all of us can learn from.

Not saying Hillary wasn't but I only got into politics since 2000 and my experience with First Ladies hasn't been that real.

[Captain Hilts]

7. Well, we all just need to wait for the "We didn't elect her" shit.

Yes, America, you DID elect Michelle Obama. And the kids. And Michelle's Mom. And the adopted dog. And Chief of Staff Emmanuel.

It's a package. But, for some reason, even though a prez is surrounded by people that he chooses that don't get confirmed, people scream about talking over issues with his wife. Fuck that. Like Hillary, it's a WASTE not to consult the spouses. Same for Joe Biden.

Michelle isn't just decorative, though she is that.

[Cha]

10. Oh yeah, it's "a package"

with infinite possibilities. And fauxsn00ze types can whine all they want..they're just a broken network.

[Captain Hilts]

11. I wish it were just Fox types. But, it's something you get in political stereo, unfortunately. nt

[Captain Hilts]

5. I like Michelle a lot but really REALLY feel uncomfortable with the...

Kennedy comparisons.

First, as much as I like JBK, I think MRO is a MUCH more substantial person coming into the White House. It's a different era and they had different opportunities and expectations. MRO's different on a lot of levels.

Hey, I'm white, so I might see it differently.

[FrenchieCat]

6. I think that the comparison are superficial and will subside as

Michelle gives America a track record of her own accomplishments.
Till then, I find the comparison more positive than not.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Let's hope so.

[FrenchieCat]

12. Why would it go otherwise?

Michelle will be judged for herself more than soon enough.
We must remember that this has been the case throughout history,
and there is little suspicion that this won't be the case this time.

[mucifer]

9. I see the comparison to Hillary more apt. They both are brilliant women with

ivy league degrees. Both are considered by many who know them to be as intelligent or more so than their husbands. Yes, there personalities are very different, but they do have many things in common.

[Captain Hilts]

13. They're both edgier than their husbands. But they certainly...

have more in common than not.

In White House marriages, it's usually the wife that's the hunter and the husband the gatherer and I think this is true with both the Clintons and the Obamas. The Roosevelts too, actually.

Look at the talents Lady Bird J had that were left to rot while she was in the White House. Beautification was/is great, but she was a whole lot smarter than that. Especially while the country was flying apart. Same with Lou Hoover.

[peace13]

14. I liked Michelle even before they smoothed over her edgy truthiness.

I liked that she spoke her mind in the early primaries. I understand why her handlers guided her to a edgeless version of herself. I expect to see Michelle find a happy medium now that she is the Commander of the Commander in Chief.

[Waiting For Everyman]

15. Michelle doesn't have to achieve a thing to be alright with me.

And I do see the similarities to Jackie, which is a huge compliment to Michelle, not vice versa - I'm sure she's levelheaded enough to realize that too. Jackie was revered by all the heads of state, and was not by any means an uneducated person. To disdain a comparison to Jackie is some epic snobbery, imo. But then I find today's fetish with achievement very naive and superficial anyway.

[Captain Hilts]

16. "Epic snobbery?"

[galaxy21]

22. Eh, that might be unfair but Jackie did have certain "standards"

She refused to let her son marry an actress and broke up his relationship with Madonna (according to one Madonna biography I read)

[Number23]

17. As much as I love Barack...

It's MICHELLE that truly makes me swoon. :loveya:

I see so much of myself in that woman. I'd love to have a whiskey-induced conversation with her about all of the crap that she's endured going to the schools she's been to and having worked where she's worked. I'm sure that her stories would not be that much different from the vast majority of educated black women that I know.

The minute that beautiful, brilliant and BROWN woman stepped on the scene, I was smitten! Any man smart, honest, secure and REAL enough to have Michelle for a wife was my kind of man. I am bursting with pride over them both.

[Alpharetta]

18. She doesn't mean much yet -- compared to what she will

I have a lot of confidence in her.

I think she has an agenda for truth and justice. (Aside from her agenda as a mother). Unencumbered by the need to negotiate with Congress, her message will be clear.

Imagine her impact on white Republican women. Once they start listening TO her instead of listening to things ABOUT her, these women will force an end to many of the lies and myths which divide our nation.

That's my hope, anyway.

[galaxy21]

19. She is a very beautiful woman

Great cheekbones.

[Pharlo]

20. Michelle Obama's color is irrelevant because she exudes class.

Simple as that. People see it, they recognize it. They respect it. She could be a one eyed, one horned flying purple people eater, and as long as she was a classy one eyed one horned flying purple people eater, no one would care.

[BlooInBloo]

21. Unlike those other people of color, who's color IS relevant, because they DON'T "exude class"?

She's truly a credit to her race, as certain sorts of Americans are wont to say, I guess, eh?

:rofl:

[galaxy21]

23. Its annoying that she has to go out of her way to avoid being 'the angry black woman'

Heck, Ann Coulter gets to be angry. Hillary gets to be angry ("shame on you Barack Obama!") . Cindy gets to be angry ('that Obama sent a chill up my spine when he refused to fund my son!!")Sarah Palin gets to complain all the time. But Michelle has to be nice 100% of the time?

If Michelle wants to flip her lid once in a while, that's okay by me.

[BlooInBloo]

24. Of course it is. It's been annoying from Jackie Robinson on down to Obama....

White folks have been incredibly thorough in limiting the number of roads to success available to black folks.

EDIT: I would imagine that in the typical office work environment, every black person lives with that One Slip Away From Being Angry Black Man/Woman on a daily basis - somewhat analogous to how women live with the One Slip From Being Hysterical Crazy Emotional Woman on a daily basis.

[galaxy21]

25. Before the election they were talking to voters and one guy said 'Obama seems like an angry man

to me"

Okay, the calm, cool collected guy is in there with the snarky, volatile, temper tantrum throwing John McCain and Barack is the angry one?

[BlooInBloo]

26. Heh. Don't forget that the Clinton people tried to tag him with "disconnected"...

because of his preternatural calm.

We white folks really DO try our damnedest to make the game a lose-lose for black folks. But that wascaly wabbit Obama somehow got thru.

Possibly that could be taken as an indication that white folks should rethink their goals.

Possibly.

:rofl:



EDIT: Subject typo.

[galaxy21]

27. I think I'm just annoyed that Michelle has to be 'perfect'

Because if she has any negative flaws or anything outside of the norm that'll somehow be used to paint her as some negative sterotype.

She's angry once in a while= angry black woman
She's ambitious= uppity
she's a strong advocate for Obama (like any political wife)= Pushy.
she complains about racism at Princeton= whiny

[BlooInBloo]

28. Yah - and as you allude to, it's compounded being black AND a woman...

Think of what GAY black women go thru. :rofl:

(that's a tragicomic rofl, by the way)

[JoePhilly]

29. Respectfully, I think you missed the point of that post.

Michelle has already demonstrated herself to be an incredible woman.

Michelle is so impressive that even when compared to the totally biased and unrealistic "standard" that the right demands, Michelle crushes them.

It's not that she's "a credit to her race" ... she is simply awesome.

And as a result, the right has nothing.

[BlooInBloo]

30. (shrug) And mutatis mutandis, you missed the specific wording that the poster freely chose....

If error I've made, it was because I was *led* there.

But it's really neither here nor there. I responded correctly to *what was actually said*. I freely confess to lacking your advanced ESP abilities, so I'm unable to make further judgments concerning "the point", or "intentions", or any similar things.

[JoePhilly]

31. ESP??

If you read *what was actually said* ... then you'd have noticed my post started with the word, "Respectfully".

I didn't call you a fool, or say you were stupid, or argue that you needed ESP.

Don't just be *led* .... think.