Because of my interest in the Obama’s as a power couple who have made it to the top very early in life, I am reading Michelle, a biography written by Liza Mundy, on Michelle Obama’s life that includes quite a bit of history about Barack’s life as well.
I have highlighted some stories that stood out to me, which I actually hadn’t heard before, that are quite shocking.
Michelle’s whole life purpose has revolved around the desire to right the wrongs done to black Americans. She sees purely in color. Her thesis at Princeton University actually condemned the school for her feeling uncomfortable for not having more black friends, teachers, or classes devoted to black issues. (Are there that many classes due to white issues?)
Michelle then went to Harvard Law School and was hired as a summer associate during her sophomore year. Instead of being grateful for the amazing opportunity; (because jobs like that are a great experience – for any student, not just a black student) her past bosses and coworkers state that Michelle was constantly displeased and discontent with the work given her – it was not good or challenging enough. Her employer even admits to the author of this book that, while it is the norm for college interns get the boring, paperwork, he actually made sure to give specifically Michelle the more exciting work because “he wanted to do right by her and see her advance”, to make up for any disadvantage she may have as being black (91).
It’s also mentioned in the book that Michelle hesitated dating Barack because he was so different, not a true “brother” and only “half black, half white” (98). Michelle’s mother, Marian Robinson also was concerned about the union, as he was biracial. She had said, “I guess that I worry about race mixing because of the difficulties, not so much for prejudice or anything” (98).
I’m pretty sure that if a white parent were concerned about their son or daughter dating a black, and gave that reason, Al Sharpton would be on TV by the next day, with an angry mob behind him, threatening to shut down a major thruway. Furthermore, when I see Barack Obama, I consider him black from his skin, even if it is lighter than some other blacks. Did Michelle and her family judge not only by color but degrees of color?
Later on, it is noted that when Michelle was working in the community, in a variety of different organizations and offices, she constantly encouraged white employees to make sure they were friends with blacks too or others different from themselves. A white woman remembers, “The most powerful thing she ever taught me was to be constantly aware of my privilege. Michelle reminded me that it’s too easy to go and sit with your own” (166).
So basically, if whites have friends who are white, they are being racist and isolating themselves in their rich, white world. But blacks don’t have to; in fact, they judge those who aren’t fully black, such as President Obama.
Later on, when Michelle and Barack were engaged, Michelle was offered a lucrative job working for the second Mayor Daley in Chicago. Since Barack Obama worried that working for the Mayor might make them look like they weren’t working for the people any longer, he insisted in meeting Michelle’s potential boss to determine if he would allow Michelle to take the job. (111). And that was when they were engaged....
As the Obama’s became a famous couple, many black women feel “validation, knowing that Obama, who had dated a white woman, chose an African American woman – ‘one of us’ – to spend his life with” (97). It was also remarked by African American commentators that having Michelle as his wife (a fully black woman) would help him gain support among other blacks, much more than if he had married a white woman, because his true blackness was already in question by the fact that he had a white mother.
Further on, it is noted both Barack and Michelle had big ambitions, however, while Michelle was working hard to pay the bills and raise their girls, Barack was working to chase his dreams. While he was doing good work, once he got to a position, he was looking ahead to the next and piling up quite a load of bills without the resources to pay for them:
This was a pattern in their marriage – she playing the role of the industrious, paycheck-retrieving ant, he the role of the devil-may-care grasshopper. Unafraid of plastic, he had a habit of putting professional expenses on his credit card and neglecting to file for reimbursement. […] Barack has written about how, when he tried to attend the 2000 Democratic National Convention, his credit card was maxed out and he was barely able to rent a car” (136).
Could this explain the tremendous trillion-dollar debt Obama is amassing for our country? How can a man balance the federal budget if he could not balance his own bills? The Republicans should have hit him harder on this during the election, but unfortunately, they were too afraid of doing so in fear of being called “racists”.
The funny thing about this book is that it was written by an author who showed sympathetic to the Obama's and was interested in Michelle during the campaign season, which led me to believe that this book would show the Obama’s in the best light possible. All the quotes and stores are directly from The First Lady, the President, their family, friends and campaign supporters.
What has happened to African Americans, who came before us, is tragic and unforgivable, along with discrimination against any other groups such as the Jews and even women. But the fact is, that if we really want to manifest our dream of a world without that mindset of discrimination, there cannot be anybody who approaches life by seeing and judging by color
