Michelle Obama Watch

It has been 2 days since I began my countdown to how long it would take Google to FIX their image search result for Michelle Obama. Just in case you’ve never done a search I’ll save you the time. This is what you will find…

How disturbing is that?  What’s even more disturbing is that one of the world’s most powerful search engines, Google, has not officially responded nor have they taken the image down. A Google employee by the name of Jimmy Deheeger, title unknown,  responded to the search result in the Google web search Help Forum…

“I agree that this image is clearly offensive and in very poor taste. Appropriate action will be taken after a speedy review. Thanks for the prompt, detailed reports that brought this issue to my attention!” 

In addition to expressing my disdain on the Google’s forum, I also sent an email to Google. At this time I have not received an official  response nor has the image been taken down. According to Google’s Web Search Help page…

“In order for information in Google’s results to change, the information must first change on the site where it appears, and this is a change that Google’s unable to make for you. We run into a lot of people who think that Google runs the Web and controls all the sites on it, but that’s really not the case. The sites in Google’s search results are controlled by those sites’ webmasters.

If you contact the webmaster, he or she has a few options. He or she can remove the concerning information, take the page down from the Web entirely, or block Google from including the page in Google’s index.”

Now pay very close attention. Google goes on to add…

In a few limited cases, Google can provide additional assistance

In most cases, the only way to change a search result is for the webmaster to change the site itself. However, we may be able to help in a few cases including these:

• Social security or credit card information in results
• Adult content in results, when SafeSearch is enabled
• Inappropriate images on our featured video results

How inappropriate is it for the first image to appear in their search engine is a racist caricature of the First Lady of the United States as a chimpanzee? As Mozell, a vigilant Michelle Obama Watcher, noted…

“The caption underneath the picture says Barack Obama, not Michelle Obama. So if it’s all about urls and algorithms or whatever, then why am I clearly typing in Michelle and getting Barack? Notice that all of the other pictures have her name listed underneath.”

How interesting is that? What is even more interesting is that Google can FIX IT, but it has been 2 days since it was brought to their attention and they have not. Another reader pointed out that the image has been around since the Presidential Primaries. SMH. Are we post racial yet? No and we will never be as long as images like these are allowed to stand. It’s one thing for images like these to exist, but another thing for mainstream media to validate them and allow them to remain as the number one image result for a company as massive as Google.

As responsible citizens it is our duty to address this lack of sensitivity. I said it before and I will say it again. If images like this of the First Lady go unchecked for the world to see, ordinary little Black girls and women, don’t stand a snow balls chance.

I encourage you to send an email to Google or leave a comment in the web search help forum. Monica Levy-Rowland, a Michelle Obama Watcher, has started a petition on Twitter. Don’t be a voyeur. Leave a comment. Let Google know how insulting this is to you as a woman and as a citizen or friend of America. It is in vogue to be an arm chair revolutionary. Don’t get me wrong. I love knowing that your twins finally went down for that nap or that you scored that awesome pair of Ferragamos on sale, but let’s Tweet for a purpose and use all of that social networking for good.

To leave a comment in the Google Forum click here.

To sign the Twitter petition click here.

Send emails to Google at press@google.com

Posted by Aminah Hanan