Introducing our amazing first Lady Michelle obama. Well oh. Well, hey there. You guys are pretty fired up, right . I like that. I like that. And if people wonder yes, Hillary Clinton is my friend. She is been a friend to me in barack and malia and sasha and bill. Chelsea have been embracing and supportive from the very day. My husband took the oath of office. Some campaigning for hillary and i know that theres some folks out there who have commented that. Its been unprecedented for a sitting first lady to be so actively engaged in a president ial campaign. And and that may be true. But whats also true is that this is truly an unprecedented election. And thats why im out here. Im out here first and foremost because we have never had a more qualified and prepared candidate for president than our friend Hillary Clinton never before in our lifetime. I say this everywhere i go i admire and respect hillary. She has been a lawyer a law professor first lady of arkansas first lady of the United States a us senator secretary of state. She has that was Michelle Obama a popular sitting first lady campaigning. 2016 for a former first lady turned president ial candidate a lawyer mother of two young daughters and the first africanamerican first lady youll hear in her own voice here on American History tv how she experienced her eight years in the white house featuring footage from cspans Video Library first. Youll hear from Michelle Obama in 2009 a cspan interview in her first year in the white house. She talks about how she sees the role of first lady and how she expects to grow in the job. I think every first lady brings their unique perspective to this job if you didnt you couldnt live through it. I think to the extent that this feels natural to me at any level and i would never have thought that living in the white house and being first lady would feel natural. Its because i try to make it me i try to bring a little bit of Michelle Obama into this but at the same time respecting and and valuing the tradition that is americas. But i think its all an evolutionary process you grow into this role and my sense is that you never get comfortable if youre always pushing for change and growth not just in yourself, but in the issues that you care about youre never done so theres never point in time where you feel like there. I am now here and i can do this the same way all the time. Its always changing. It changes given the the state of the issues of the country and you never know what those are going to be from one day to the next so you have to be flexible and fluid and and open to evolve. This is American History tv. Youre listening to Michelle Obama in her own words just a month after moving into the white house. She hosted children in the east room and event marking african American History month. Well, hello. Welcome to the white house. How are you guys doing . Thats good. Its good to see you all ive heard you all been just quiet as mice. Have you been behaving in here . Is it exciting . Come on . Its exciting. Isnt this a Beautiful House . Well, we are so so very proud and happy to have you here. See we were all very much kids like you guys. We just figured out that one day that our fate was in our own hands. We made decisions to listen to our parents. And to our teachers and to work very very hard for everything in life. And then we worked even harder any time anybody doubted us as president and first lady barack and i are just the caretakers of this house. Were just borrowing it a little bit. But while we live here. Will your neighbors . Okay, and we want you to feel welcome here at the white house. Which really is as the admiral said its the peoples house. It belongs to all of us. So just remember that okay. And as the peoples house, we believe the white house should be a place for learning and for sharing new and different ideas. Sharing new forms of art and culture and history and different perspectives. We want you to visit and we want you to take advantage of these opportunities and maybe see something for yourselves that maybe you never thought you could do or be so im happy to welcome you here for our little black History Month celebration. Im glad you guys are here. So many milestones in black history have touched this very house. Just to name a few. Did you know that africanamerican slaves helped to build this house . You knew that . Did you know that write upstairs in a bedroom called the lincoln bedroom president lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation that marked an important step forward and ending slavery. Did you know that happened right here . You knew that . Well, did you know that in 1878 . Rutherford b hayes was president at the time and marie selka became the first soprano the first africanamerican artist to perform right here in the the white house that was in 1878. Did you know that because i didnt know that. And in the 1960s, did you know that dr. Martin luther king and other civil rights leaders met here with president s kennedy and johnson to debate and discuss the end of segregation. Did you know that pretty cool . Yeah, well youre yawning wake up. And of course who lives here now. President obama and hes making history every single day. Why . Why he is the thats correct. Would you like to stand . You want to say that one more time . First very good this is American History tv and youre listening to Michelle Obama in her own words. AfricanAmerican History and the challenges and accomplishments of black americans. Were themes the first lady returned to often. In 2013, she hosted the cast and crew of the movie 42 about Jackie Robinson who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. We watched this movie over the weekend. It was just us because our girls were away and they are definitely going to watch this movie. We think that everybody in this country needs to watch this movie and i can say with all sincerity that it was truly powerful for us. I dont know about you, but we walked away from that just visit physical visibly physically moved by the experience of the movie of the story and it wasnt simply the the wonderful performance is because the performances were brilliant, i mean, you know, im no movie critic, but you all are pretty good. Its pretty good, and it wasnt the the wonderful screenwriting or the directing. It was the raw emotion that it just makes you feel after the experience. I mean watching anyone go through what jackie and Rachel Robinson. Did you know the outright discrimination they encountered at every turn every turn from the fans in the stadium to the airport receptionist, even from some of his own teammates. Now youre left. Just asking yourself. How on earth did they live through that . You know, how did they do it . How did they endure the taunts and the bigotry . For for all of that time and while so many in this country still face clear challenges they still exist today. I was struck by how far removed that way of life seems today. I mean, theres work to be done but things have changed Major League Baseball is fully integrated. You cant imagine the Baseball League not being integrated. They are no more whites only signs posted anywhere in this country. Although it still happens. It is far less acceptable for someone to yell out a racial slur while youre walking down the street still happens, but not tolerated. That kind of prejudice is simply just not something that can happen in the light of day today. And then on the other hand for us to be able to sit in the same room as Rachel Robinson. We do all understand. We are here. With Rachel Robinson the woman who lived through that life whose memories and perspectives will forever be shaped by those experiences her presence here today makes us realize just how connected we are to that part of our history. It is very real and very tangible in the end. I cant help but marvel at just how far weve come over the course of this womans life, but it also reminds us how far we have to go how much more work we have to do. Jackie and Rachel Robinson story reminds us how much how much hard work it takes to move a country forward. It reminds us how much struggle is required to make Real Progress in change. So as you reflect on this story not just today, but i hope you keep thinking about it for the rest of your life. I want you to think about how much strength it took. Day in and day out for rachel and Jackie Robinson and for thousands of other people just like them all across this country to keep pressing ahead even though some folks wouldnt even treat them like they were human beings. They just kept pressing ahead. It would have been easy for them to get mad. Right because i know i was mad. Just watching the movie. It would have been easy for them to get mad or to give up but instead they made hate they met hatred with decency. I want you all to keep that in mind they met hatred with decency and more importantly they gave their absolute very best every single day. Do you hear they they gave their best every single day from the time they were young people just like all of you they worked hard to prepare themselves for greatness so that when the their way they were ready for that greatness. You know, this would have been a totally different story had they not been prepared have they not trained themselves . Are they not educated themselves . Yeah, Jackie Robinson certainly was a tremendous athlete but he was so much more than that. You know, he bravely served in our armed forces. He attended college at ucla. He competed at as hard as he could at everything he did so that his gifts wouldnt go to waste. And Rachel Robinson was in every way his equal ladies in every way his equal. She made her education a priority. She worked hard in school. She eventually became a nurse. So jackie and Rachel Robinson werent destined for greatness. They prepared themselves for greatness, which meant that they could make a difference outside of baseball as well. And that is the only thing that is important for you to understand you can be great in your profession. You can earn a lot of money you can be famous. But the question is what are you doing for others . After he retired Jackie Robinson became a leader in the Civil Rights Movement working with dr. King the naacp. He helped to start a bank to help other minorities start their own Small Businesses and to own their own homes and after his death. Mrs. Robinson carried on that legacy by starting the Jackie Robinson foundation which has provided College Scholarships and training and Career Opportunities for more than 1400 underserved students. In fact, i know that we have a few Jackie Robinson scholars here today who are studying at howard and georgetown and yale and brown and even my alma mater, princeton. First ladies in their own words continues now on American History tv, Michelle Obama traveled to alabama in 2015 to address the graduating class of Tuskegee University historically bought college. She reflected on how she had grown in her role as first lady. She also acknowledged criticism directed her at herself and president obama and spoke about dealing with racism. And while the history of this campus isnt perfect the defining story of tuskegee is the story of rising hopes and fortunes for all african americans. And now graduates its your turn to take up that cause. And let me tell you you should feel so proud. Of making it to this day. And i hope that youre excited to get started on that next chapter. But i also imagine that you might think about all that history. All those heroes who came before you and you might also feel a little pressure. You know. Pressure to live up to the legacy of those who came before you. Pressure to meet the expectations of others and believe me. I understand that kind of pressure. Ive experienced a little bit of it myself. See graduates, i didnt start out as the fully firm formed first lady who stands before you today. No. No, i had my share of bumps along the way. Back with my husband first started campaigning for president folks had all sorts of questions of me. What kind of first lady would i be . What kinds of issues would i take on what i be more like laura bush or Hillary Clinton or nancy reagan . And the truth is those same questions would have been posed to any candidate spouse. Thats just the way the process works. But as potentially the first africanamerican first lady i was also the focus of another set of questions and speculations conversations sometimes rooted in the fears and misperceptions of others. Was i too loud or too angry or too emasculating . Or was i too soft . Too much of a mom not enough of a career woman. Then there was the first time i was on a magazine cover. It was a cartoon drawing of me with a huge afro and a machine gun. Now yeah, i wish satire. But if im really being honest. That knocked me back a bit. It made me wonder well. Just how are people seeing me. Or you might remember the onstage celebratory fist bump between me and my husband after a primary when that was referred to as a terrorist fist jab. And over the years folks have used plenty of interesting words to describe me. One said i exited exhibited a little bit of uppityism. Another noted that i was one of my husbands cronies of color. Cable news charmingly referred to me as obamas baby mama. And of course barack has endured his fair share of insults and slights. Even today there are still folks. Questioning his citizenship and all of this used to really get to me. Back in those days. I had a lot of sleepless nights worrying about what people thought of me. Wondering if i might be hurting my husbands chances of winning his election. Fearing how my girls would feel if they found out what some people were saying about their mom . But eventually i realized that if i wanted to keep my sanity. And not let others define me. There was only one thing i could do and that was to have faith in gods plan for me. I had to ignore all of the noise. And be true to myself. And the rest would work itself out. So throughout this journey. I have learned to block everything out. And focus on my truth i had to answer some basic questions for myself. Who am i . No, really . Who am i . What do i care about . And the answers to those questions have resulted in the woman who stands before you today. A woman who is first and foremost a mom . Look, i love our daughters more than anything in the world more than life itself. And while that may not be the first thing that some folks want to hear from an Ivy League Educated lawyer. It is truly who i am. So for me being mom and chief is and always will be job number one. Next ive always felt a deep sense of obligation to make the biggest impact possible with this incredible platform. So i took on issues that were personal to me. Issues like helping families raise healthier kids honoring the incredible military families that ive met out on the campaign trail inspiring our young people to value their education and finish college. Now some folks criticize my choices for not being bold enough. But these were my choices. My issues and i decided to tackle them in a way that felt most authentic to me. In a way that was both substantive and strategic. But also fun and hopefully inspiring so i immersed myself in the policy details. I worked with congress on legislation against speeches to ceos military generals hollywood executives, but i also work to assure that my efforts would resonate with kids and families and that meant doing things in a creative and unconventional way. So yeah, i planted a garden and hula hooped on the white house loan with kids. I did some mom dancing on tv. I celebrated military kids with kermit the frog i asked folks across the country to wear their alma maters tshirts for College Signing day. And at the end of the day by staying true to the me. Ive always known. I found that this journey has been incredibly freeing. Because no matter what happened. I had the peace of mind of knowing that all of the chatter the namecalling the doubting all all of it was just noise. It did not define me. It didnt change who i was and most importantly it couldnt hold me back. This is American History tv and youre listening to Michelle Obama in her own words. As first lady she took up the cause of supporting men and women in the military and their families. She made a plea on behalf of veterans in particular before a 2010 meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in new york. She reminds me. With her work to be a voice for americas military families and veterans. Using her platform as first lady to make sure they get support and respect and the appreciation that they deserve. So it is with that that i would like to introduce you to. My first lady americas first Lady Michelle obama. As you endeavor to do more. To serve more communities lift up more families. Save more lives. How can you find new ways to tap the skills and talents of more people. How can you create and train new leaders . Not just here in america, but around the world. How can you as president clinton put it earlier this week get people involved in our common endeavors . So in pondering these questions, im here today to ask you to consider an issue that is near and dear to my heart is first lady and one that i believe is vitally important for just about everything youre working to accomplish. And that is the challenges faced by americas veterans and military families and all they have to offer particularly as they transition to civilian life. Now at first glance, i know this issue may seem too uniquely american and scope for such a global audience here at cgi. But right now the Human Potential of americas veterans and military families is both vast and woefully underutilized. And thats not just an issue for those individuals or for this country. It also significantly impacts what you and so many others are trying to achieve not just here in america, but around the world. Now his first lady ive had the privilege of meeting americas men and women in uniform. Ive met them on bases and hospitals and communities all across the country. And i always come away from these visits not just with a sense of pride and gratitude, but with a sense of awe. Believe me im odd. Im awed by their courage and their sacrifice. Im awed by their commitment to this country and the standard of excellence they uphold. And while most folks share my respect and admiration for their service. A lot of folks have no idea what that service actually entails. Many still dont know the full power of their Human Potential. But just consider for a moment the kind of work that they do. Members of our military masters state of the art technologies some of the most advanced information and medical and Communication Systems in the world. They run the worlds most complex operations distributing supplies to thousands of locations moving tons of equipment halfway across the globe. They oversee hundreds of their colleagues recruiting the top talent and inspiring folks from diverse backgrounds to succeed as a team. And many of them are barely old enough to vote. Yet they show their more responsibility than many ceos. Undertaking missions where theres no margin for error where the bottom line is often a matter of life or death . Now these are highly valuable highly transferable highly marketable skills. Skills that i know many businesses including those represented here today. Are desperate to find . Yet the fact is that right now more than 150,000 recent veterans are still struggling to find jobs. So the fact is that americas veterans and military spouses have years of experience and training doing precisely the kind of work that all of you are doing every day across the globe. Are you building roads or schools or shelters . Theyve done that. Are you establishing Health Clinics and remote parts of the world . Theyve done that too. Are you trying to recruit and manage teams of volunteers . Are you working to get clean water into a village . Are you trying to move people to safety in the wake of a Natural Disaster . You see thats all in todays work for these folks. First ladies in their own words continues now on American History tv Michelle Obama focused a spotlight on Childhood Obesity and the health of the nations children. She used the white house as a platform to advance the issue. Youll hear from her next at the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll where the south lawn was converted into a sprawling playground. Buddy is this not the most perfect day for the easter egg roll . Lets say thank you to mother nature. Yeah. You guys we are so excited to have you welcome to the 2010 easter egg roll the theme for this years event is ready set. What . Go and as you guys know this year i launched a nationwide initiative to try to end the epidemic of Childhood Obesity. Its called lets move and today we have transformed the southlawn into a playground, you know, our hope today is that in addition to having fun and doing some of the traditional activities like the egg roll and Easter Egg Hunt that you can learn about beginning to live a more healthy life. Weve got wonderful food stands over in the back. Weve got some of the areas in the nations best chefs. You can learn to cook. Theres a farmers market. You can see the garden, but we also have some great activities. Weve got several athletic centers. Weve got football weve got basketball. Yeah, weve got tennis. Weve got yoga and weve have some of the most phenomenal athletes here. Weve got our washington redskins. Here we have we have olympians apollo. Oh, no, weve got billie jean king. In the center, were going to have some dancing some hula hooping. Weve got dj tony from the Ellen Degeneres show whos gonna do some stuff and then if thats not enough you can go over to the music stage and just have some fun with Justin Bieber. You guys know Justin Bieber . Youve heard of Justin Bieber. Well, hes here. And we have Sara Bareilles one of my favorites the cast of glee. Hey, and thank you amber for that wonderful rendition of the National Anthem and then weve got readers. Theres always reading is import. Weve got jk rowling one of our favorite authors here. Greece witherspoon, weve got tons of people who are here just to have fun with you guys today. So the only thing you need to do is get ready set and do what . The first lady also oversaw the planting of a white house garden to promote Healthy Eating as part of her. Lets move campaign. She worked hand in hand with local schoolchildren to plant and harvest the garden. This garden can not only feed my family, but its going to feed all the staff at the white house. Were going to use these vegetables to help feed you guys. Were going to serve it at some state dinner. So with this little plot of land and this is a big plot. You dont even have to plant this much we can produce enough fruits and vegetables to feed us for years and years to come for just a couple hundred dollars, isnt that amazing . So were looking to for to you guys to help us make it happen. So were going to plant the seedlings today. And then in a few months hopefully right around the time you get out of school. You can come and help us harvest the the fruits and vegetables and come into the white house with all our chefs and start doing a little cooking. Hows that sound good . All right. Its great too have a glass. Es as we close our look at Michelle Obama, we first revisit the 2016 campaign that dominated the last months of her eight years in the white house. Youll hear her speech before the Democratic National convention in philadelphia, which nominated Hillary Clinton for president. Michelle obamas signature line from that campaign when they go low we go high. You know, its its hard to believe that it has been eight years since i first came to this convention. To talk with you about why i thought my husband should be president. Conviction his decency and his grace. The traits that weve seen every day that he served our country in the white house. I also told you about our daughters. How they are the heart of our hearts the center of our world and during our time in the white house. Weve had the joy of watching them grow from bubbly little girls into poised young women. A journey that started soon after we arrived in washington when they set off for their first day at their new school. I will never forget that winter morning as i watched our girls just seven and 10 years old. Pile into those black suvs with all those big men with guns and i saw their little faces pressed up against the window. And the only thing i could think was. What have we done . See because at that moment i realized that our time in the white house would form the foundation for who they would become. And how well we manage this experience could truly make or break them. That is what barack and i think about every day as we try to guide and protect our girls through the challenges of this unusual life in the spotlight. How we urge them to ignore those . Who question their fathers citizenship or faith . We insist. That the hateful language they hear from public figures on tv does not represent the true spirit of this country. How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully you dont stoop to their level. No, our motto is when they go low we go high. With with every word we utter. With every action we take we know our kids are watching us. We as parents are their most Important Role models. And let me tell you barack and i take that same approach to our jobs as president and first lady because we know that our words and actions matter not just to our girls, but the children across this country kids kids who tell us i saw you on tv. I wrote a report on you for school. Kids like the little black boy who looked up at my husband his eyes wide with hope and he wondered is my hair like yours . And make no mistake about it. This november when we go to the polls, that is what were deciding not democrat or republican not left or right no in this election and every election. Is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives. In her last official remarks as first Lady Michelle obama spoke in the white house east room in early january 2017. The event was to honor School Counselors and mrs. Obama talked about the administrations efforts to improve education. As she concluded her speech the first lady gave one last pep, talk and expressed a personal hope and as i in my time in the white house i can think of no better message to send to our young people in my last official remarks this first lady. So for all the young people in this room and those who are watching. Know that this country belongs to you. To all of you from every background and walk of life if you or your parents are immigrants. Know that you are part of a proud american tradition. The infusion of new cultures talents and ideas generation after generation that has made us the greatest country on earth. If your family doesnt have much money. I want you to remember that in this country plenty of folks including me and my husband we started out with very little. But with a lot of hard work and a good education. Anything is possible even becoming president. Thats what the American Dream is all about. If you are a person of faith. Know that religious diversity is a Great American tradition to in fact, thats why people first came to this country to worship freely. And whether you are Muslim Christian jewish hindu seek. These religions are teaching our young people about justice. And compassion and honesty so i want our young people to continue to learn and practice those values with. You see our glorious diversity. Our diversity is a faiths and colors and creeds. That is not a threat to who we are. It makes us who we are. So the young people here and the young people out there. Do not ever let anyone make you feel you dont matter. Or like you dont have a place in our american story because you do. And you have a right to be exactly who you are. But i also want to be very clear. This right isnt just handed to you. Know this right has to be earned every single day. You cannot take your freedoms for granted. Now just like generations. Whove come before you you have to do your part to preserve and protect those freedoms and that starts right now when youre young. Right now you need to be preparing yourself to add your voice to our National Conversation you need to prepare yourself to be informed. And engaged as a citizen. To serve and to lead to stand up for our proud American Values and to honor them in your daily lives, and that means getting the best education possible so you can think critically so you can express yourself clearly. So you can get a good job and support yourself and your family so you can be a positive force in your communities. And when you encounter obstacles because i guarantee you you will. And many of you already have when you are struggling and you start thinking about giving up. I want you to remember something that my husband and i have talked about since we first started this journey nearly a decade ago. Something that is carried us through every moment in this white house and every moment of our lives. And that is the power of hope. The belief that Something Better is always possible if youre willing to work for it and fight for it. It is our fundamental belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voices of doubt and division. Of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country. Our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves. Then we can be whatever we dream regardless of the limitations that others may place on us. Being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life. And i hope ive made you proud. Thank you for joining us on American History tv for first ladies and their own words our program on Michelle Obama next week Melania Trump a former model from slovenia mrs. Trump is only the second first lady who was not born in the United States and the first to become a naturalized us citizen. First ladies in their own words is also available as a podcast and you can find itstory posts. And then you have to put them over here young ladies. Enjoys. Its really a pleasure to welcome the first lady of the United States heit
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