The United States is engaged in two wars that have no clear end in sight. Servicemen and women are faced with multiple deployments that keep families separated for months. We live in a country plagued with an epidemic of childhood obesity. A broken health care system leaves millions of Americans, uninsured or under insured, hanging in the balance one illness away from financial ruin.
In the nine months that Michelle Obama has been First Lady of the United States she has become an advocate for military families, planted an organic garden, continually urged women and children to adopt healthy lifestyle, taken the message of health care reform to American women, and invited the largely African American population of Washington, DC to join the once exclusive White House visitors club. She has even gone so far as to try and hug every child in the DC public school system. So I was a little confused after reading Newsweek’s Allison Samuels’ piece How Will Michelle Obama Make Her Mark?.
Hasn’t the First Lady made her mark already? I am not suggesting that her work is done, but to liken the issues that she has taken on thus far as some sort of East Wing tea party is ridiculous. There is no doubt that these issues matter, especially to the millions of American who are affected by them.
Of course it would be great fodder for the media and the right wing if the First Lady mounted an all out assault on the junk-food lobby or marched up to Capitol Hill and demanded that condom use be a part of the national health care debate. But how much more effective would it be for her to demonstrate how to live a healthy life without denying yourself the occasional indulgence? What does it do for the psyche of American women and children to see her healthy and fit jumping double Dutch and eating veggies on the White House Lawn? Or walking home with her family after attending church?
As First Lady she could address the number of African American women disproportionately suffering with AIDS. But would her words compel more women to use condoms, get tested with their partners, and perhaps make smarter relationship choices? Probably not and that is truly unfortunate.
So what can Michelle do? What will be her legacy? Only time will tell. In my opinion she has already made her mark. Call me hyped up on hope, but I believe that there are little girls everywhere who are watching the First Lady, taking mental notes, and they will ultimately leave lasting legacies of their own.
Posted by Aminah Hanan
4 Comments, Comment or Ping
admin
OH Allison Samuels is such a HATER! Two weeks ago she was attacking Zahara Jolie Pitt.
After a whopping 9 months, she expects Michelle Obama to cure what’s been ailing DC for generations? What does she think Michelle Obama is doing? Black people have a boat load of health issues that MIGHT be attributable to our diets and exercise habits. How many of you know somoene whose gone ot a gym because of Michelle Obama trying to get Michelle’s arms? LIkewise why does Allison Samuels think that the rate of HIV and AIDS is so high in DC? It is an education issue? Is it a mechanical issue? Is it a self esteem issue where people are so beat down by poverty that they engage in high risk behavior?
So what do you think she’s doing when she’s opening up the White House to thousands of DC students? Hugging them, laughing with them, engaging in activities with them?
Shaddup Allison! Allison’s legacy will be a bucket load of Hateraid at the end of her career.
Oct 26th, 2009
pepper
I do believe that Michelle wants to do more. But because she is a black woman she can’t start with hard hitting issues she has to stay with the traditional role of first lady. The second she does more people are going to jump on her and say she is trying to take over the white house.
Oct 26th, 2009
Aminah Hanan
@ADMIN LMAO No one can make it plain like you. I read the Zahara story and I thought it was so stupid. I think her natural hair looks fine. She’s a child for heaven’s sake. People need to stop projecting their own feelings on others. My mother is Black and I have plenty of childhood photos sporting a fro, often straight out of the pool, and when I look at them all I remember is how much fun we had. We really need to let that hair and skin thing go.
Black writers like Ms Samuels write article like this because it kicks up dust and pays the bills. They don’t care who gets dirty as long as they get a paycheck. I would love to see more stories encouraging Black families to adopt Black children.
In my opinion the First Lady is fighting the most challenging war. The war to change peoples minds. People can listen to rhetoric all day, usually spoken by those who don’t lead by example. But if you can get people to change their minds they will make better choices and ultimately live a better life.
Oct 26th, 2009
rikyrah
I wrote and meant that IF all that Michelle Obama did was do nothing more than Laura Bush, it would be enough for me, because it was MICHELLE OBAMA DOING IT.
I’m tired of these clowns believing that Michelle Obama is going to carry some feminist banner for them- what THEY think is feminist. get out and do it your own damn self.
Oct 30th, 2009