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A Friendly Neighbor
For those of us who call the nation’s capital our home, Mrs. Obama has become a neighbor and community activist. From Day One, she has been reaching out to the D.C. community, visiting the children from the city’s working-class and underprivileged households to tell them that her childhood was much like theirs and that through…
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The Other Community Organizer
There is a certain majesty about the way Michelle Obama approaches her role. It shows, at the same time, a humility, and in some ways, the spirit of a community organizer. When she was talking about being mom in chief, she’s not saying that she’s exclusively concerned about her own family, but rather the role…
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Gardener in Chief
Well, it’s been a rather extraordinary 100 days, and I never imagined that she would plant a garden and talk about the issue of food in relationship to hunger by presenting herself in a soup kitchen, and in relation to agriculture by making a garden and bringing schoolchildren into that experience. It’s striking—and a message…
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Working It Out
It’s almost a perfect storm of factors that make her an effective first lady, a role model in general and an exciting role model for African-American women. I think that she brings a dignity but also an earthiness to the job of first lady—and it is a job. I think that she has clearly put…
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Black Love Guru
Michelle Obama stands out for her portrayal of strong black family life and values. Everything they do—the kids, the school, the holding hands…. To show black love at that level, at the highest level of American authority, to show black love which the media has told us doesn’t exist, that’s been the best part for…
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Not About PR
I think she has brought a freshness to the White House, but in addition, her professional skills and her people skills are so good. She began with letting it be known that she was interested in people and that she wanted to be a part of her community and a part of the nation. I…
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A 21st Century Ambassador
In a very short time, Michelle Obama has made it clear that she is serious about making the White House a “people’s house.” Internationally as well, the images of her visiting schools and talking to young women of diverse backgrounds reemphasized her image as a strong woman, committed to the cause of education and cultural…
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A-Plus
I don’t think Obama’s perfect, so I’ll give him an A-minus. But, the first lady, Lord, well she’s A-plus. No question about it. I think she’s just a tremendous combination of style and substance that you rarely see. I just think that she has balanced that out so well. Most first ladies sort of tilt…
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Michelle Obama's First 100 Days
The FLOTUS has been fabulous with fashion and forward-looking on family issues. She’s even gotten down and dirty in the White House kitchen garden. How’s she doing? We asked a collection of our favorite leaders, thinkers and talkers to sum up the first lady’s impact so far. Click through and read what they had to say.…
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100 Days, 10,000 Snaps—White House Photographers Get Busy
The official White House photostream on the website Flickr boasts hundreds of extraordinary photographs of president Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office. The candids—of the Obama girls playing on the swingset with their mother, the president rocking out at his Super Bowl party, and relaxing with some birthday cake at an Oval Office birthday…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
