That, and they defined the role in their own image and blackness was a part of it, and that culture was a part of it, but so was everything else that they brought to it.
One of the finest, the most excellent first ladies. I would say the legacy is being one of the finest, the most excellent presidents. I would say their greatest legacy is not as the first Black president or the first Black first lady.
We all have known that thing of having to work twice as hard to get half as far, and then you saw these two people enter the White House and they worked so hard but they got so far and they did so much. I consistently feel that, we as black Americans have so much to teach America and the world and I feel like that’s what they did. Veronica: For me, the legacy of their time in the White House is one of excellence and grace. #OneObama: What do you think that the legacy of the Obamas will be? I just feel like I got a lot from a distance and so I’m good with that.
#Michelle obama roxane gay twitter how to#
How to be concerned but also care for yourself and all those things. I feel like she’s modeled this thing of how to be a grown up woman and how to own it. I would I have liked to gone to the White House when they were there, but those momentary moments really pale in comparison to the impact she’s had on my life. Honestly I just feel like, to have someone who looks like her, who shares so much of the DNA of our experience, has meant so much to me that honestly, a picture would be nice. I cannot believe eight years have gone by and I haven’t met her. #OneObama: Have you ever met Michelle Obama? It’s just yet another thing to admire about her … like there was a shortage of it. Honestly, no other first lady has had technology moving as fast as she has, and she’s not only dealt with it, she’s owned it. Also because Marcus is so savvy about social media, he also spoke really intelligently and in an interesting way about what it meant for her to be a first lady in the age of Twitter and Facebook, where there are no do-overs and everything goes around the world in 30 seconds. I mean, we all do, but you know what I mean. Then Marcus Samuelsson, everyone knows him as a chef, but one of the things that I really appreciated about what he brought to the conversation was he talked about the Obamas through the lens of Africa and what it means for young African girls to see someone like Michelle Obama, whose family has real roots to the continent. Veronica: Damon Young is just genius hilarious and he’s just so warm.
#OneObama: What about the contributions from men? Anything surprise you there? That was very powerful and important to me, as one example. I don’t think we can have enough of those conversations. What does that mean for us?” I love that because I think for all the great things that we do have out there, including Blackish, which is everybody’s favorite, I don’t think we talk enough about black love and what it takes for people to work together to achieve their dreams. And so for them to say, “Okay, we’re in a creative marriage, they’re clearly in a creative marriage. Alisha starred on Broadway in Porgy and Bess. Jason is the director of Jazz at the Kennedy Center. I loved Jason Moran and Alisha Hall-Moran‘s conversation about marriage and creativity in partnership, especially through the lens of the fact that they’ve met the Obamas several times. There are just so many pieces that I love in this book. Veronica: Everyone got to choose what they wrote about. #OneObama: Were there any surprises on what writers wrote about? Did they get to choose? Could I have Ava Duvernay? Damon Young from Very Smart Brothers and Roxane Gay? I’m fan-girling Michelle Obama and I’m fan-girling the writers as well.
Because it wasn’t a big anthology, it was like putting together a list of the ideal dinner party. It’ll be a moment when they’re leaving the White House, and this moment of appreciation for the whole time.” I thought, “That sounds really interesting.” Then I started making a list of dream contributors, and from there it was pretty exciting. Veronica Chambers: My editor and I would have lunch every couple of months and we would just always have this Michelle Obama appreciation part, saying things like, “ Oh my God, did you see the Let Girls Learn thing? Did you see the James Corden video? Did you see this?” Then she said to me, “ Don’t you think it would be great to put together a collection of essays?” At that point, I thought there’d been so many books, but she said, “None really quite like this. #OneObama: What prompted you to do this project now? Below is a conversation with Chambers on The Meaning of Michelle, which will be published days before our first Black First Family officially leaves the White House.