Larry King asks dumb questions. It's a fact. But that's probably why he's so popular. Last night, he interviewed Michelle Obama, and she was, as usual, matter-of-fact, down-to-earth, and straight forward. I don't know if I mentioned this on here, but she's the one who got me to back Barack. Months ago, when people were still asking that stupid question, but is he Black enough? she was interviewed by some talking head (I forget who). The numbers were showing blacks in favor of Clinton (pre-Bill's South Carolina meltdown) and the reporter asked Michelle about the lack of support in the black community. She said: "First of all, I think that that's not going to hold. I'm completely confident: black America will wake up, and get it. But what we're dealing with in the black community is just the natural fear of possibility. You know, when I look at my life, the stuff that we're seeing in these polls has played out my whole life. You know, always been told by somebody that I'm not ready, that I can't do something, my scores weren't high enough. You know, there's always that doubt in the back of the minds of people of color. People who've been oppressed and haven't been given real opportunities. That you never really believe. That you believe that somehow, someone is better than you. You know, deep down inside, you doubt whether you can do it, because that's all you've been told, is "no, wait." That's all you hear, and you hear it from people who love you. Not because they don't care about you, but because they're afraid. They're afraid that something might happen." There was a lot of backlash because of this answer. Anger from blacks who don't want to admit that blackness is a thing that lives, and breathes, and comes with its own set of insecurities; anger from whites who hate being reminded that racism has had lasting repercussions; and anger from women who think gender trumps race. But her words were exactly what I needed to hear. My favorite quote from last night's interview: LK: So you're ready for it. Ready to be the first black, the first female... MO: I am who I am. I'm ready for it. That's who I am. People want to make it about being the first this, or being the first that. Why can't it be about... being who you are?
2.12.2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 new thought(s):
Wow.
But you know, that's what bugs me sometimes about this society we're in. Sometimes you're only validated if you're the first this or that. To the point where you get so many qualifiers just so you can say you're the first albino native American sword juggling president from TX. But how did you do in office? Was it worth it, will you be remembered for more than those qualifiers?
girl yes. she is the truth. i love me some shelly. i already liked him. but then i got a look at her knew if he was w/her he had to be about something b/c she would NOT be down w/him being wack. SHE ROCKS!!
What else could they cheapen it with? It would be easy to make him the first black president. It would be much harder to admit he was the first who dared to do something different and was intelligent enough to see it thru... especially as a black man
Agreed LK sometimes doesn't know what to say out of his mouth, he sounds senile from time to time.
She's grown on me tremendously, she used to scare me, back in her unapproachable days.
It always makes my heart smile when you get to see the woman beside the man, a partner and an equal, not a woman behind the man in the shadows.
Post a Comment