Michelle Obama’s underrated role in gun debate

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:25:00 +0000

Much has been made of the prominence of men like President Obama, Michael Bloomberg and Wayne LaPierre in the nation's current debate on gun safety reform. But less attention has been placed on the singular and transformational role of Michelle Obama.

The first lady elevated the conversation Wednesday, during a rare return to her hometown of Chicago. In a city ravaged by violence, with more than 500 gun-related homicides last year alone, she spoke eloquently -- and apolitically -- transcending the partisan politics that seem to subvert her husband's efforts for reasonable gun control legislation.

But what was most unique was for whom, and to whom, Michelle spoke. Her words gave voice to an oft ignored (but disproportionately affected) victim of America's gun violence: the black mother.

The first lady spoke of Hadiya Pendleton, the slain 15-year-old student, gunned down just blocks from the Obama's Chicago home -- and only days after Pendleton had attended the president's second inauguration. With tears in her eyes, Michelle said, "Hadiya Pendleton was me and I was her." The first lady went on to add that Pendleton's family is "just like" her own.

For white chicks in afro wigs

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 23:30:00 +0000

So there’s this crazy white chick running around New York wearing an Afro wig to tweak her perspective and experience life differently. She writes about this twisted Black Like Me-Watermelon Woman stunt on her blog Before and Afro (get it?). And she’s getting flak from people of all colors who think at best she’s insensitive, at worst racist and perhaps mentally unhinged and in need of medication.

The negative chatter kicked up last week when the blogger, Michelle Joni, attended a fried chicken festival and blogged that it was “obviously an occasion to wear the fro.”

“You are a walking cliché,” reads one of the comments on her site. “A white person that believes Black culture, heritage, and natural BEING is something to poke fun at, to have fun with, to experiment with, and to belittle. Because that is exactly what you’re doing, whether you mean to or not.

Here’s another: “From one white girl to another – please just stop. You are hurting people. You are wearing their identity and culture as a costume that you can put on and take off.”

Salon.com > Black women

Michelle Obama’s underrated role in gun debate

For white chicks in afro wigs