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Early during the last presidential campaign, many wondered if biracial Barack Obama was black enough. Then after the flap over Rev. Jeremiah Wright, folks wondered if perhaps he was too black. Meanwhile, the conservative blogosphere was abuzz with the rumor that there was a secret video of Michelle Obama referring to Caucasians as "whitey." Now there's debate over whether New York magazine retouched a recent cover illustration of her to make her look lighter, more white.Not that such questions are new to the First Lady. "I remember there were kids around my [Chicago] neighborhood who would say, 'Ooh, you talk funny. You talk like a white girl,'" she said. "I heard that growing up my whole life. I was like, 'I don't even know what that means, but I am still getting my A.'" Critics like that couldn't stop her drive to achieve, said the lawyer and former hospital executive.
Michelle Obama's appearance at Anacostia High School was part of a day in which she introduced D.C.-area students at several schools to a number of accomplished women as examples of the success they, too, can achieve if they are willing to work hard for it.
The women who visited area schools included Grammy Award-winning singers Alicia Keys and Sheryl Crow; sibling actresses Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad; Gen. Ann Dunwoody, the first woman to achieve the four-star rank; actresses Kerry Washington and Tracee Ellis Ross; and Debra Lee, president and CEO of BET Holdings.
To see more about the First Lady's chat with students, check out the video below:
Comments: (88)
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By: Amy on 3/24/2009 8:17PM
I have listened to Michelle speak, and her intonation sounds very Afican American. I wonder what she means by 'sounding white'.She is African American and her enthnicity shows up on her vernacular.She should be proud of that.
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By: Patriotic on 3/24/2009 9:02PM
People,Mr. Obama is our President.He is the leader of our nation.He is the leader that the majority of American chose.Michelle is his wife,as we all know....My point is...Who cares what color their skin is,or how proper they talk?As long as he is for America & the American people,Thats all we should be concerned about.
If you dig deep enough ,there might be a few surprises on all our family trees,white,black,yellow,red...whatever..Again I say,What does skin color or the way someone speaks have to do with how he runs our country?
As for Michelle...I think she is a proper spoken lady,And very worthy of being our 1st.Lady...Of course thats only my opinion..
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By: Mike on 3/29/2009 2:51PM
I am not even sure how to address issues like this (attacks on race even when discussing the wife of the leader of our great country), and I wish I was better able to so do. It just appalls me that we can't all be excited by the fact that we have crossed this tremendous milestone and overlooked race to elect the person that most Americans believe to have been the better candidate. As a middle aged white male I definitely have been privy to most of the opportunities afforded in this country like everyone else has - but there is absolutely NO WAY anyone can tell me that a Black man (or woman) growing up in the same time period as me hasn't had a much harder time in going after those opportunities. I can't explain nor do I pretend to fully understand what it is like to be a part of Black America now or over the last 40 years, but I am very certain it is a much more difficult experience than the one I was exposed to (and I was not born with any silver spoon and have had to work my whole life to get where I am).
It is so easy to put negative connotations on anything anyone says, I just wish we could quit doing it as it relates to the President and his family (at least for starters than maybe we can progress even farther).
Anyway this note is intended simply to vent my frustration at the way certain folks are being sooo disrespectful to the First Family and to say that I think they are doing a Fantastic job at staying above the fray and setting a solid example for all of us.
However they run the country, well we'll see how that goes, but I whole heartedly believe they have the absolute best on intentions (for ALL of us) - and they definitely both have the educational and political backgrounds needed to make the tough decisions they are facing.
Doubtful the people who are making the most noise could even fathom the difficulty and complexity of the position.
With all due respect to this great Nation and our current truly inspiring First Family.
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By: Tired of Poor ME attitude on 3/25/2009 3:35PM
: Don't forget to make that appointment, no, I'm am tireless. I am not frustrated. I am very content. I am intrigued by what goes on in this blog. So you will enjoy my company for a long time to come.
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By: Patricia on 3/26/2009 12:45PM
Obviously Michelle Obama did not change her "White Speak" when the girls maligned her as a child. There is no white speak, just proper use of language. If one works in the midst of a black neighborhood, would the person be compelled to speak black speak? No because the language of economics means that you speak to be understood. Clarity in language so as to not confuse the customer.
The complaint of "White Speak" was just another way to insert racism.
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By: John on 4/13/2009 2:04PM
Divided you Stand.....
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By: Sylvain on 7/16/2009 11:50PM
I wanted to address the silly multiple choice questionnaire at the close of the article which asks: "Should Michelle Obama have mentioned talking white during the school visit"?
I stared an wondered what kind of a clueless idiot writes these questions...Of course it makes sense to mention it, since there is such a stigma among American Blacks about climbing-out of the self-limiting cultural trappings handed down under the guise of cultural integrity. It is very important to tell our Black children that this nonsense about "talking black" and all the peripherals of the "ebonics-only" mindset is a canard. It is important not to confuse a localized linguistic compulsion, confined to America and its painful history, with genuine cultural issues which may be of interest to people of African descent - sounding uneducated, and encouraging our kids to "sound black" in an attempt to perpetuate our own limitations never helped anyone have more choices available to them in life.
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By: bugs on 2/05/2010 2:48PM
It is important to speak well enough to communicate with others. I was asked once by a young man if he could have a "nuerkle" and I had no idea what he was talking about. A friend of this child said that his friend was saying nickle. It makes a difference. I was corrected by my parents, grandparents and teachers when I made a mistake in English just as they corrected me in Math. I'm glad I had people that were able and willing to teach me in all subjects in school. Too many times you see children that are being herded through school like livestock without ever teaching them to read, write and speak. It's a shame, really, that an educated person is referred to as "White" to make them feel badly about themselves. If we love our children then we have a responsibility to that child to teach it everything we can in our power, even the white stuff. We should set good examples and give these children a head start in life, period.
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