[inaudible conversations] good evening. Good evening good evening. Please take a moment to silence your cell phones. I would like to remind you that there is not any flash photography permitted during tonights events. Following the event there will be a book signing will take place upstairs in the library. And do not forget that most of our author events are also online at i would like to introduce myself to all of you folks that are here this evening. My name is state representative joanna mcclinton. Im a member of the General Assembly in the Pennsylvania House of representatives. And i represent the 191st legislative district. [applause] thank you. I was waiting for a boo. The district includes some of my favorite parts of the city where i have spent my entire life your southwest philadelphia, also was philadelphia. Im going to Delaware County and i represent we are thrilled to have you out this evening. As many of you know the free library is dedicated to advancing literacy, guiding learning and inspiring curiosity. From its awardwinning author event series to the thoughtprovoking programs. Make sure you take time to visit the website free library. Org to learn about all of the programs and Services Offered or youre welcome to stop by any of the one of 54 locations in the city of brotherly love. There are two in my legislative district. That includes the blanche a Nixon Library right there at the corner of 59th and baltimore avenue. I also represent the library at the corner 70th and woodland avenue. When you get to the library please do not forget the most important thing that i learned as a very young girl. Sign up c can take advantage of all of the privileges that come with the card. Tonight it is my pleasure to introduce you to veronica chambers. Veronica chambers is a journalist and also the bestselling author and she is the editor of tonights book the meaning of michelle. This book is a collection of essays reflecting on the life, legacy and significance of first Lady Michelle obama. athe book as a whole has been described as what they love letter and a thank you note to our incredibly prestigious first lady. 16 essays, the contributors to the book describe what it is like to have witnessed mrs. Obama poise from their personal point of view. Bestselling novelist and memoirist littles essay chronicles her unremarkable background and remarkable rise to prominence. Opera singer Alicia Hall Moran who tonight will be performing a piece for us is accompanied on the guitar by thomas aand admires michelle as a president ial partner. Damon young who is the editorinchief of very smart brothers. Com describes the force of michelles style and a according to the chicago tribune, the meeting michelle taps into the love, taps into the love that so Many Americans have for this girl from the south side of chicago who turned into the royalty of washington d. C. Personally, i am thrilled to be here because as our 44th president said last tuesday, Michelle Obama is a mentor to innumerable amount of young girls and coming from southwest philadelphia, she has inspired me significantly. I am thrilled to have witnessed the last eight years. I am always beaming with pride thinking she is in fact my auntie shall although she is not my mothers sister and she is also not my dads sister. But in my mind she is my auntie. And i looked just like her if you look from the side. [laughter] before we bring up the editors of this book, we are going to play a brief video and it is a surprise. [video] [inaudible] [singing] those guys didnt think i would do it. I told you i was going to do it. Ladies and gentlemen we are so pleased to have all of the contributors here this evening. Please join me in welcoming veronica chambers, alittle, Alicia Hall Moran and damon young of philadelphia. Thank you. [applause] thank you guys for coming out tonight. Thank you for coming out tonight. We are happy to be here. I love the library as everybody knows. I am always talking about it. I am veronica chambers. I am the editor of meeting michelle. I want to take a little bit of back story about everybody. alittle is a awardwinning bestselling novelist. Ive known her forever. What i love about her when i think ai always say she is like athe way she writes about class and sensibility with humor and grace is so beautiful and powerful. When we were putting together this book, about a year ago which is not that long for a book. I went to lunch with an editor and we would have lunch every six months or so. And at the particular lunch, we got to the moment because rose had a mom where we talk about Michelle Obama. And she said, dont you want to do a book. And i said i guess i would. And she said when we do a collection where we have writers talking about what Michelle Obama has meant to us. And what we have gained over the last eight years. And so we knew we had 15 writers and we thought about it at a time at a literary dinner party. And as soon as i said yes i am once she was and i started to think about the dinner party and literally like the seating chart. So i thought okay shes sitting here and she is an amazing writer. So then i thought of Alicia Hall Moran was the most beautiful singer. She is also this amazing truth teller, storyteller and her husband is an amazing musician. And a pianist. I remember there was a picture on facebook of jason and alisha and he said they were in venice and he said, im sitting here with the brain plotting on your behalf. And he called to the brain. And i thought okay next all of this great and grace we need the voice. And so athen damon young the editor and chief i thought is not a dinner party if you dont invite the guy. And i thought, for this kind of dinner party we need our brother. So we start at the top with damon and he said yes. And his work always makes me laugh and think. Im really happy to have the three of them here tonight and there are some other writers who are not here tonight. She is actually in a broadway show coming in the spring. Just say no she were an amazing piece. And so were going to talk about Michelle Obama and will read a little bit first from her essay. Hi everybody. You know, there is so much to say about her. What im going to read i wrote, i do know a year ago . I could have written another piece. In the last few weeks as a gosh, why didnt i say that . Why did i talk about this . So anyway awriters always like to do that but anyway. Do you want me to just read . Yes. If you like to stand at the podium. Yes, i would rather stand. So, you know like probably most of you michelle is a friend in my head. Im in a really. [laughter] so wanted to admit essay, it is lungs are only read a little bit but one of the things she is talking about our similarities. Like our backgrounds are very similar and all of that. So when the introduction was her unremarkable background. In fact, it is remarkable in its unremarkable way. I get an amen back there. [laughter] michelle came of age at the tail end of black power. Which might explain her extreme selfconfidence. She is exactly who she is. But lets face it. The black elite with class and color had to touch her life at some point. She is a brown skinned woman without classically beautiful features and no social prominence. Very smart friend of mine once said, barack would never win because america was not ready for dark skinned women in the white house. I vehemently disagreed with her and when he when she happily admitted that she had been wrong. And in 2007 michelle told vogue. I see it is not to be modest but theres nothing magical about my background. I am not a genius. I work hard. Every other kid i knew could have been me. They got a bad break and didnt recover. Its like i tell the young people i talked to the difference between success and failure in our society is a very slim margin. He almost had to have the perfect storm of good parents, selfesteem and good grades. And good teachers. It is a lot which is why barack and i believe so passionately about investing in education. In strengthening our institutions. Thing is michelle is like so many of us and she nails it. She was raised by striving black workingclass parents. During the time we grew up, pretty much all parents were strivers. And i do not mean in a loving social way. No, it is an achievement. It was about uplift. Not about white folks. The dream was that we would hold onto the values we learned in those black neighborhoods. And then go out and conquer. But we would not forget our reason. That didnt quite happen or have enough for most of us. We did not hold onto all of ourselves. Michelle did. She brought her mama with her to the white house. Which means she brought her home with her. She and barack have the same friends. And it is hard being oneself under a microscope and the miracle of michelle is that she seemed to have always held onto her authentic self with her middle name aholding center. Unlike me you traveled a task to get back to my authentic a there is something enviable now about women we dont spend a lot of time looking in the rearview mirror. The show went away to school. Then moved back to her hometown and settled into her professional life married and became a mother. All with and a five mile radius. There is a lot to be said with that. He adopted hometown as his and they never argued with her to spend the holidays with. Michelle doesnt like to play games and is not because she hates to lose, its because she wants everybody to win. Michelle wrote for us on a deeply personal level. She has given us permission to be ourselves on a National Stage. To be proud of our blackness, realness, humble beginning, our regular and his parents not be perfect and have that as a goal. She is smart enough to understand that perfection is its own prison. When we look back on the obamas state, a fantastical and farfetched presidency, it was as real as michelle. A brown skinned workingclass black girl marries a biracial black identified intellectual equal who ended up becoming a leader of the free world. They raise their two young daughters into woman head and young womanhood and a spotlight with not one with a bad public behavior. It is a story even the best of us would not have dared dream. [applause] thank you. Do you want to read from the podium . I can, you know what . I better take my opportunity to read from a podium and a great great library. Im sure this will never happen again. [laughter] is that okay . Can i do that . [laughter] i am very happy to be here. I am so happy. To be here. The composer and the brain, a conversation about music, marriage, power, creativity, partnership and the obamas. I first met michelle when i was under studying the role of best in the porgy and bess show. We stayed in our costumes, she came up to each of us and hugged every one of us. Regardless of whether we were the star of the show or a backstage hand. Her love and support were gold. Celebrities, people with much less important things to do then run the world perhaps, send a vibe that they cannot be bothered with you. Michelle obama can be bothered with you. Both the president and the first lady are so present says jason moran. So generous. For the groundbreaking of the africanamerican museum i played a song. And after we went to the white house. The obamas came out to meet people and it was a big crowd. Someone from the staff took me by the arm and said, you need to go to the front. Michelle said, Elizabeth Alexander just told us about you. And we really love you. Then barack comes right behind her and he says, yes, i really like that. He said michelle really does listening to music. So im going to find that song. And i am thinking, he is ame about that song. [laughter] barack said you think i am lying. I am not lying to you. [laughter] he reached into his pocket and took out a little piece of paper. It was a little white card and ran on a very small was, jason moran, i like the sunrise. He showed it to me and said, i am looking for that song. It is very hard to be genuine all the time but somehow, they shine in the personal interests. Which i say, brings us back to Michelle Obama. To accept that you will be judged is actually the job that the first lady signed up for. I see how she dreads her power through it could have been a limited role of being judged all day long. It is not a small role. It is an all encompassing, 24 hour judgment on your future, past and your presence. Your children, their presence and their future. It is everything and youre always dressing in the mirror of public engagement. But she threads her power through these things and what she does is reverse the gauge. She would make sure that while the world is looking at her, her gaze is accepting to the children, the elders, our craftsmen and the artists, to a whole range of people. Including me. Who had never been seen. In that way before. She reversed that gaze. [applause] of course i had to go to the podium to. [laughter] peer pressure. [laughter] also, before i get started, i want to let everyone know that i just got over this really bad virus. And i just now got my voice back. I do not have a voice for the last week. So with my voice cracks while speaking, im not going to. Again. [laughter] i am just recovering. This is me trying to get my voice back and speak. So i just wanted to give you all a heads up. So when veronica reached out to ask me if i wanted to contribute to the book, i thought that she was making a mistake. Because i saw People Associated with it. And i was just thinking, you know awhy did she asked me . To be part of this ayou know what could i possibly contribute to an anthology with the, you know amazing authors and about Michelle Obama. So we emailed back and forth. And we finally decided on an angle. The title of my chapter is crushing on michelle for the Unapologetic Power of black. No offense to any of the wives of the president s before president obama. All lovely, gracious women. But damn, i was used to the first lady being professional first ladies, nice grandmotherly white ladies who belong with leaders and shell houses in florida with women named rose and blanche. No offense to anyone who you know, qualifies for that. But that she was a real life version of the character of angela bassett. The type of woman who walked into a Board Meeting or a yoga class or trader joes or happy hour in d. C. And makes you tentatively straighten your posture, tighten or get an your gaze. Because you know in order to have any type of interaction with you to have your step together. And he wanted to, or at least do a convincing job that you had it together. Because you desperately want to approach her. To talk to her. To know her and for her to know and be impressed by to remember you. She was a level lifter. In ambition, the woman you want to take all of the world. And then barack obama, how could i not with him and had the foresight and wisdom to marry her. [laughter] he found a way to convince her to accept his hand and have his children. That is a type of man i want to be. Now before i continue, let me make a couple of things clear. I am in no way possessing the quality must be married or straight to have support. Near what i compiled the debate like politician has to be married they must be married to a white person. An example are plenty of people and lawmakers that no shock. [laughter] but i cant deny my truth. Which is the truth shared by many of the black people who share my skepticism. Yes we eventually fell in love with barack obama. With the pens and stuff and bumper stickers on the windshield. And if we didnt happen to have a car or a book that we made a phone call to campus neighborhoods to register people everywhere to make our votes. We attended rallies, we had prerally happy hours and post rally potlucks. We had watched parties. Treated them the same way we treated which in hindsight was probably a little . We did it anyway. We even adopted joe biden. [laughter] but michelle was the conduit. She was the one who said it was right for us to do all of these things. That essentially the antiashe was a litmus test, we were not just vertical barack, we were voting for barack and michelle and their daughters in the white house. To be honored around the world. Because while barack was a rockstar in the headliner it was michelle that we fell in love with first. Of course, much of the love was a symbolic nature of their family. And we may but we want this unambiguously family to be americas first family. If you are supporting 2007 and 2008, if we support him because he was black most likely answer will be of course. But if theres one line out of Historical Context black americans in america, its like an impact would have on america and. [inaudible] [laughter] many of us particularly myself. [inaudible] i speak specifically of michelle and speaking from a heterosexual mans perspective this love, this positive feeling was aspirational. And for the first time in recent memory when aspirations that were becoming reality. Before her, the benchmark for black men were fictional characters like claire huxtable. An activist to play out in fiction. The along, halle berry, and other actresses that hosted bt shows. None of these women our real estate. Mr. Obama was real. While black americas collectively saw her, we black men saw her as our classmates and our neighbors. Our coworkers and colleagues. We saw the woman we once want to approach, commit to and start a family and grow old with. We didnt want to do some of these things before we saw her. We saw a regular black chick. But being a complement, the best compliment. In this, the first lady is a black woman cannot be overstated. She wasnt from turks and caicos, she was from chicago. [laughter] she did not possess what we commonly referred to as good hair. Her hair was full and healthy of course. But it was black hair. The type of hair that communicates she knew what the kitchen was. [laughter] [applause] [inaudible] was very well acquainted and had a relationship with hot curlers. And athletic michelle was also blessed with her awhich i would call her booty issue is not first lady. [laughter] [laughter] she was not the type of beautiful that you see on the cover of a magazine but should possess the beauty shared by the women in our families and the girls and women that we crushed on. It was a beauty specific to blackness. Because of provocation. She was stunning for a black woman. She was a woman whose black features made her stunning. Thank you. [applause] you can see this is a very exciting subject. I remember get in the essay sending email to my editor saying we use these words . So . I didnt know there was an argument about that. I wanted you to have your voice so i was happy about that. You know one of the reasons why wanted to play that clip it was so lastminute. Because i was actually at the apollo the night the president walked out. And i remember thinking, we are not seeing michelle but he is singing to michelle. The next year and the months to come. Stay together like as a country, as a people, as a. We also ive been married the same amount of time. Got married in 1992 and i so remember you guys do when she was on the trail and when it was look can like he was win, and she said the thing about this picking up his socks and doesnt pick up his sox and so people criticized her. Was like, what, of course . Of course. Weve gotten hopefully how to love each other, because she loved herself, she loved her family, and she loved her country. And he in that amazing address, in that grate, just talked about that and i am not necessarily a optimist but i do feel optimistic that weve gotten that from them, just to love, and to be open, and to talk to each other. We dont have to agree, but they brought the level up here in terms of we, as i said, she said, we know people like them but the big we did not. And so i think the level has been raised and so the level of respect hopefully will take away that. Alicia, youre nodding. One reason i asked alicia and jason to write something together its because i file as her to thats two things. You have actually melt the obamas, and you have engaged with them. But more than that, see so much creativity and partnership in the way you and jason balance power. I felt like you had a real insight into what must be going in conversations that none withus were privilege privy too. I well say this and i appreciate what you said so much. Because some things i hadnt thought of. Sometimes weapon you take entity the midsection you get to it another kind of truth. So, when i got your word for clemp the podium it was not for michelle for barack obama. That was my feeling about my husband. Looking at me through your book, mirroring the subject of this evening, it was like i got in a little room of my feelings, looking at me. So i think what i love about the couple is i saw myself so clearly, like a magic that you got into explaining to me a little bit. And i think that such a challenge of right now, the feeling time, you said, were in right now, is to look at something that does not mirror you to hear so many things that only dont represent your opinion, dont represent any reality of any people you know or have ever known or ever read about, and they dont represent the persona that you even would have found derogatory. When i talking down about people, or i feel ashamed of something ive done, or i have negative group feeling, you know, when the sisterhood or something, its still not even anywhere near what is looking at me. So i think when youre talking, gosh, im learning so much this evening. I think the communication ive been so used to for eight years looking in this mirror for some answers. They aint perfect. His politics arent perfect. She is not perfect, number of these people is perfect, and could that matter less . To most of us . No. Couldnt matter less. So, i like communication. Its just being the consistent dialogue where you can let your defense down. At least you feel when you talk, you get Something Back that looks or feels like something you ever knew, and you build your own story from there. So, me and jason are not perfect. I mean, wow. Our relationship is like, that guy who got hit by a truck, then got hit bay car, then tripped on the pavement, but he has the dopest wheelchair. He got the best surgeons. You know what i mean . He has the inhome chef, the lettuce grown on a table in new hampshire. We have good food. Im so hap im really actually happy. We have great, great food, and that is general i love him and my guard is so far down that i make mistakes. His guard is so far down that its like, oops. But is this a bunch of oops and then put a bandaid on it and try to make love or force yourself and feel better the next day. So that kind of, as far as i can get with it. But theres a lot of trust there . Its trust in the bottom layer which cant always be in the other person. My mother told me dont marry somebody unless if you die, youd leave your newborn baby with his people. I was my mom is so smart. Like, yeah, like that . We are good. I dont need to be here. My thing is going to go on. Jason, on my worth day the thing about now. I dont trust the word worst day. Im scared on the worth day. But jason, even on the worst day, give him my oxygen tank and my scabby knees and show up and you get more what it feels like. Thats powerful. Thats beautiful. [applause] i dont know what to say after that. I didnt be three years, my wife and i in july. Ill say this. Very good. I get it. Were all family, i guess. Now we are. I forgot who said this earlier tonight, made a point about the obamas being aspirational in terms of theyre not perfect but their relationship and just what they represent and just what theyve represented for this last eight years, even the year as long as theyve been in the public eye, and i woke to them now and listen to their speeches and their words because theres still an optimism about the country there that i dont possess right now, and its almost like i am working towards getting there, and getting to wherever they are, whatever they level of spiritual and intellectual maturity theyre at, because, again, its very difficult for me right now to have that same type of optimism, knowing what going to happen on friday. Its funny, the fact were all wearing black, this wasnt planned. We did it but i feel like its i dont know its apropos to a part of all of us is preparing to be in mourning. Even though while were celebrating the obamas and Michelle Obama specifically, just knowing whats happened over the last few months, the last year, has really put us i dont know really become like a turn a punch bowl, to be creative. And a turd in a punch bowl, to be creative. And even the anthology i wrote a piece, i think its published on a root earlier this week, where i made the point that the anthology was conceived of and completed before the election happened, and i wonder if any of us would have written or would have had a different perspective if we would have written or completed the anthology in december. I think i would have. I think i might have the thing is, how i feel about Michelle Obama has not changed, but how i would want to craft and structure the words im saying about her in an anthology probably would have. And thats crazy just luke a three or four month span how much that it was i dont know like seismic shift. I remember waking up on election day and thinking my book is the printer. We sale its been interesting to see how people have embraced the book and i think that one of the things that ive been thinking about is there are eight years of legacy and service and sacrifice, and i think were being able to draw on that. Im an eternal opt optimist and she says that grace meets us where you are but doesnt leave you where it found you, and i feel like when they came interest the white house, we were on the bring of financial ruin so many things were wrong. They met us where we were but didnt leave us where they found us and the things they brought us, the speech in new hampshire, her courage, what she has really stepped forward for, her girls and women, and looking at my daughter and think, this is a nineyearold girl who doesnt know any other first lady or president. And so thats foundational. When you talk about the trust being on the ground. Shes not going to have to, like, process that or put that back in or make it grow. You attacked about your niece and talked about your niece in the same way and said it kind of blows your mind. Yes. Guess thats how i ended my chapter where i spoke about how my shes 11 now but she this is all she node literally. She dont the concept of a black president , even as late as 2006 or 2007 was still surreal to me. That could happen one day, and for a kid who grew up, who was been in the last eight, nine, ten years, this is it. This is their only as long as they have been mature enough to be aware of a president , theyve been aware that the president is black, and that blows my mind just thinking about that. And to that point, theres something i did want to say about the anthology. Im glad that we were able to write this before, before the whatever happened in november, because im glad we had a space that was unencumbered with the other thoughts, where we were able to be celebratory, and just acknowledge and embrace all of the great things about the obamas and Michelle Obama and the legacy. Im very thankful that this happened when it did. So, thank you. I totally agree. Im glad we didnt have a tippinged moment. Today is actually her birthday, mobamas birthday. Were going to take questions from the audience but i want to ask each of you if you had to define or put in one word or two or three words what you feel that you got from her being in the white house, what would it be . I know you talked about the holly hunter moment. Yeah. The holly hunter moment is remember that movie brought news where she used to cry all the time. That would be me. But when i saw her for the first time on the National Stage in the New York Times and it was clear that she was going to become the first lady, i literallyburt out in tears from my gut and it was the fir time i had ever seen someone on a National Stage who was like me. Really like me. Foibled and all, like me. And i think in reverence to your question, taking away its an affirmation, simple. Its the mirror. Its the woman in full, and just to touch on what you said about the election, one of the things i said to this paper, what is clear, what became here, thats sort of i dont want to see rejection but for lack of better word of hillary is the same thing with people who have who are michelle detractors and that is a lot of americans arent comfortable, arent ready to see woman in full. She is a woman in full. Hillary is a woman in full. I am a woman in full. And that is what. Thats what i got. Should we talk some questions . Alicia do you have a takeaway . My takeaway from the obamas i just thought it up now, because she didnt tell us she was going to ask this question. Is honestly, like, the long game. My dad always would talk about that. And he still is living so still talks about it. Saving for the future. Learning the right way now so you can have be good at math later. Learn to ad and sub can be distract. Mow this right way when er donure didnt miss a spot. But like now, like, yeah, not four years, not eight years, not 32 years, and i think lot of people have picture of somebody with the last great picture you have of them was them with this theres a black president paper i have that picture of my grandmother. I can see that online all the time. Somebodys grandma with the of the New York Times whatever i they have. That going to be me itch just dont know what that news is going to be, but now i have thoughts like that, flacco the 50 years, something i cooperate imagine. Yay. Well take questions. The original question was two or three words to say . Im going to stay true to the question. Legacy. Hope. And inspiration. Thats good. I like that. Okay. Too you guys have questions . Love to open it up. Theres mics talking to a mic down in the woman in orange is walking ill takure question now. I want to thank all of you for coming to the free library of philadelphia. Im a big fan of both of the obamas but ive been struck by the fact that no one seems to be talking about the fact that michelle was baracks boss in law firm. She was the major bread winner of the family, and so no one is talking about her sacrifice and im wondering if theres any feeling that this is just a continuation of where, as in the civil rights movement, the africanamerican women were the workers but the men got the glory. We talked about the book. Definitely get into it in the book. We didnt leave that stone unconcerned. Alicia if you would talk far second. Your essay looks the theme of taking turns. Iwhen jason, who traveled so much, when your alicia toured the nation as well and he said when you had to hit the road, he knew where he needed to be, which was home. So, i mean, do you feel that theres i think that we addressed that and i think that yes. Needed to be home but in his wisdom he said, you have to go on the road. And it was my instinct to ask him, but that seems a model so saturated in the workings of the world that i have no answer for that in the workings of the world. But he has got a motor and im just here to tap his faith. Look this way. Hes going to go, right . I look at the look at that. Dont forget her. Check her out. Invite her mom, dont talk to this lady. And then talk about ladies, you know . What could i say other than some house wiferring thing. Name me a place, a marriage, tray dont have tree late to the world in the gendered ways. Boo right. Okay. Other questions . What your question . Thats my daughter. Make it quick. How did you pick everybody for this book . Thats not a bad question. I wanted a mix i just want just writer, even though i love writers itch think writers can overthink things and i didnt want people to just dissect. I wanted a mix of riter and think erring. Damon is an amazing writer, alicia is a composer as well and has written pieces. Wrote a piece called black wall street. We had a chef who did the first state dinner, she had a commitment to food and his interaction with her, being an actress and being in hamilton so thank you for that. I wanted a mix of people who had ideas as welling a academics and writers and wanted be more like a lively Dinner Party Conversation than a really justing extra written book. Another question. Ahavent heard much at all about michelles mother and im darn curious to know what it was for her to have grown up in the life she grew up in, and ending up in the white house. And im sure it had to have been quite difficult for he in a lot of ways, and i imagine she would be quite conflicted about writing a book about it, but the family has been described as unremarkable, but we all know that living the life that family has lived is in essence the most remarkable and the most beautiful that this country can produce, and we see that in them. I would love for her story not to be lost, and i dont know how id love to just see the two of them together, discussing the rolling out of this family and it history. All i can say is i agree. I notice in the exit interview she did say her mom is moving back to chicago. Her mom said, enough. And when she said, when oprah asked michelle if her mother is going to stay the extra two years with them in d. C. Did you see that . She looked the camera and said my mother said, bye felecia. Marion does not have to say a lot and she happened and that is always she hasnt and thats extraordinary. We have had extended families. Remember jimmy carters brother, bill clintons mom. We have had those people around who would end up doing something that was kind of scandal louse and embarrassingment nothing from marion. Other other than she wants to be ability to go to cvs, damitt. That our last question then alicia is going to sing. I had a word to use about barack and obama is safe. I wonder what you would like to see for their next chapter . Its going to be whatever they do nut in terms of a fantasy idea, like what would you like to see from the obamas next . Damon . Um, well, move abroad. That one thing i want to play baseball. Wasnt invited to my game the white house. Want that to happen. But i with them, mean, i ive thought about this, what i would want for them to do, going forward, and honestly this is just goes into the idea of them of me feeling like theyre family dish want them to rest. I want them to be out of the public eye. I remember that night when barack was elected and gave his first speech, and how happy i was, but i also was like, please get the fuck off the stage before somebody shoots you, and with both of these emotions the same time, and so i just want them to good somewhere safe and chill and be able to go to cvs and watch whatever they werent able to do, and i want them to do that. They needed as someone who feels a way about them that i would feel about my open family issue want that for them. Okay. So, alicia, youre guitarist is going to come out. I have james. Should we maybe damon i. His listen. Yes, welcome, thomas. I am going to sing Amazing Grace which i began singing when i was assigned it by the visual artist, carey may weems, who has a beautiful living theater artwork about the issue of grace and the obama presidency, particularly the end of his presidency. We fought about this piece. She was right. Amazing grace. How sweet the sound,. That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now im found. Was blind but now i see. twas grace that taught my soul to fear. And grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear. The hour i first believed. Through many dangers and, toils and snares. I have already come twas grace has brought me safe thus far. And grace will lead me home [applause] thank you. [applause] and now, its a minute and a half. Signed, sealed, delivered. Seen a lot of things. In this old world. Way they talk, didnt mean nothing to this girl. Here i am, signed, sealed, delivered, im yours. We trade to set the world on fire. If they go low, you better go higher. Baby, here i am, sign, sealed, delivered im yours. Im yours, im yours. Im yours. Im yours sunset [applause] thank you, and good evening. And thank you. And thank you for coming. Can you alicia, so beautiful. Thank you all for coming. We had a party. Thank you all. Have a good evening, thank you, thomas, tamon i need to turn the on to. Talk into it. Thank you, thomas, damon, alicia, pen pen nell my and we have becomed well sign. So thank you