She had the Audacity

[sheshe2]

But you can bet that, if conservatives freaked out over her remarks at the opening of the Whitney Museum, they would go apoplectic over all this. Of course, you would win that bet. The assumption behind all these critiques is that Michelle Obama is simply playing the victim because, when it comes to racism in this country, we're SOOO over that.

snip

As long as white people don't admit that this kind of thing is happening in America, it won't change. And people like Michelle Obama will be right to prepare young people for the racism they will face in this country.

Read More http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2015/05/michelle-obama-was-right.html

To talk about race.

Thank you First Ladies, Eleanor Roosevelt and Michelle Obama.

[Hekate]

1. You bet. Kick

[TDale313]

2. k&r

[Raine1967]

3. DAMN straight!

People seem to convienently forget that Eleanor Roosevelt had a pretty crappy childhood. She had help, but she never forgot her experiences.

Thank you!

[OnlinePoker]

25. Crappy in that both parents died.

This occured to many families in that era. Unlike the poor she later championed, however, she had family and money to fall back on to get her through her losses. Without that social standing, I doubt she would have made it to the levels of society she later reached. Even for socially progressive individuals in that era, where your family came from counted a lot in where you got to in life.

[irisblue]

4. yep

[jwirr]

5. K&R And I love that picture.

[Marie Marie]

6. Right there - 2 of my favorite First Ladies

[babylonsister]

7. Recommend! nt

[calimary]

8. They're both gonna be on our money someday. Or they should be.

Women of history and honor and legend. How are we non-blacks supposed to come to understand what the black experience has been?

One of the basics of recovery, seems to me, is first to admit you have a problem. The denial we see - manifested in the white population's total misunderstanding of what blacks have gone through since the earliest days on this continent. It's just really shameful. Heck, there's denial all over the landscape on that proverbial other side of the aisle. Look at the science and climate change deniers. Look at the deniers of any wrongdoing in the Iraq War, and the effort to excuse and justify it. Notice - they're STILL trying to justify it, more than a decade later. Even with the shreds they have left to cling to - "I think the world is safer with Saddam gone" yeah, uh-huh. That's all they've got, and even that pretense is debatable. I'm not a total expert on all things Middle East but it seems to me Saddam kept the Iranians busy. He was no angel, certainly. But Iran seemed a lot more preoccupied with the war on its western border when he was in power, fighting them, depleting their economy, costing them many lives, and just generally making their lives miserable. Things, while far from optimum, were at least confined to a relatively small section of the Middle East.

Now, SHEESH the whole area is aflame.

[Dont call me Shirley]

18. Racism is Violence and Violence is an Addiction.

[akbacchus_BC]

9. Did you look at Jeopardy this evening!

The guy who was on Bill Maher show awhile ago was a contestant.

Alex Trebick asked him if he would consider entering politics and he said no, Washington is too corrupt and the lip service is unbelievable! I cannot remember the guy's name.

I just want to tell you that I did not mean anything negative the other night! We will miss the water when the well runs dry. I hope a Democrat gets in but as for President Obama, he did the best he could. The only thing I thought he went wrong is when he thought he could work with the Republicans. He had no idea how much they hated him. President Obama did well! And you need to be commended for your advocacy. Me, been here since second Bush got in and could not believe it especially after Katrina. That is when I stopped lurking and joined DU!

You are a good person!

[sheshe2]

10. I love your post and so needed it tonight.

I agree with completely, dealing with the GOP was a very bad idea.

I am okay with what you said the other night. We are good. I am going to miss our President when he is gone. You are right, he did good, akbacchus_BC.

Thank you so much for your post.

[akbacchus_BC]

11. I know sweetie, but President Obama truely thought

they would work with him. A fresh face and willing to turn America around. Little did we know they hated him!

Am going to miss him too, I really had hoped he would achieve the things he promised and campaigned on but girl, even Democrats were against him! Especially with medicare and let me not start with Guantanamo Bay but at least he promised to change the situation with Cuba and America and he should be commended for that.

Let's keep in touch and let us hope a Republican does not get elected!

[Cha]

12. Oh, Wonderful Graphic of these two brilliant First Ladies.. we are so lucky to be living in

Michelle's time and I can imagine how fortunate the people were to be getting the benefits when Eleanor was FL!

Mahalo, She! Smartypants really is so Smart!

[brer cat]

13. great graphic, sheshe.

K&R, and thanks for posting!! I totally agree.

[stonecutter357]

14. K&R!

[okaawhatever]

15. K & R nt

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

16. Thank you, sheshe2.

[Hepburn]

17. Two of my top heroines!

Thank you! As a child, I was in awe of Eleanor Roosevelt. As an adult, in awe of Michelle Obama!

[Dont call me Shirley]

19. Women who make me smile

[malaise]

20. Go Michelle

K & R

[BlancheSplanchnik]

21. great point of history!!!!

Thanks, she !!

[spanone]

22. k&r...

[SunSeeker]

23. K & R

[napkinz]

24. I posted this a few days ago ... it sure makes the racists at FOX uncomfortable

Fox guest to Michelle Obama: Don’t complain about racism because whites hired you for your black skin

DAVID EDWARDS
12 MAY 2015

Fox News contributor Angela McGlowan asserted on Tuesday that First Lady Michelle Obama had been wrong to bring up racial issues in a recent commencement speech because she owed her success to the color of her skin.

Speaking at the historically-black Tuskegee University over the weekend, the first lady talked about how black people were treated differently at department stores, made to feel as they were less intelligent, and had their patriotism questioned.

McGlowan argued that Obama’s speech may have been acceptable if it had been a “regular time” in the history of the United States, but that she should have avoided the topic because her husband, President Barack Obama, and former Attorney General Eric Holder had “utilized race to divide this country.”

“By saying ‘we’ and ‘against us’ is saying that there is a white oppressor, that there’s a system that’s against us,” she explained. “However, why didn’t the first lady share the reason why she got into Princeton was probably because of Affirmative Action?”

“The reason why she became an associate at a law firm was probably because of diversity, they needed a woman — not saying that she wasn’t qualified — but they needed a woman, and a woman of color. That’s a twofer.”

read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/fox-guest-to-michelle-obama-dont-complain-about-racism-because-whites-hired-you-for-your-black-skin/


Michelle Obama mentions racism, Fox News elevates angry black person threat level to Super-Uppity

Hannity claimed that Obama's recent speech is "a culmination of anger, deep rooted anger, that has built up in Michelle Obama." Hannity went on, "It's kind of sad. There's a bitterness here to the whole experience of being first lady, a lack of appreciation for the opportunities that they've had."

Being angry at past racist incidents is, of course, the first step to becoming uppity. Best just be grateful. Grateful, I tell you, or creepy but proudly not-at-all-racist radio show hosts like Laura Ingraham will be scuttling out of every nook and crevice to question whether you have really ever experienced racism in this country or whether you're just making it up to make America look bad.

I don't believe that story, never did. ... That just wasn't true. But this is the First Lady of the United States who has reached the pinnacle of success in our country, her husband has, and this was a litany of victimization which is exactly what we want young African-American graduates of a terrific university to take away with.

Even Ann Coulter climbed out of her coffin to weigh in, which for Ann Coulter consisted of references to Reverend Wright and slavery and her belief that there was not one "peaceful" protester in all of Baltimore.

"As if work-a-day blacks are rushing out to protest Freddie Gray. No they aren’t,” she said.

read more: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/12/1384243/-Michele-Obama-mentions-racism-Fox-News-elevates-angry-black-person-threat-level-to-Super-Uppity

[sheshe2]

26. I am sorry that I missed your thread, napkinz.

What ugly comments, from Laura and Ann et al. I don't know how the First family deals with all of it. Deep down, you just know these kind of things hurt. Yet Flotus, all of them, smile and carry themselves with pride and dignity every day. We are lucky to have them.

So good to see you again, napkinz.

[Number23]

27. K&R!!!

[sheshe2]

29. " If that sometimes makes others uncomfortable, it damn well should"

Brava to two awesome women.

Ya know something Number23? One White one Black a collective voice. One voice. We have to do this together.

[hrmjustin]

28. i always love your ops and pictures She!