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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMichelle Obama takes first ladies of Croatia, Turkey, Norway, Albania and France to her 'backyard.'
Last edited Mon May 21, 2012, 10:07 AM - Edit history (1)
Away from the clamor of protesters and the glitter of a city dressed up for the NATO summit, first lady Michelle Obama and the spouses of foreign heads of state spent Sunday afternoon on the South Side, less than a mile from the neighborhood where she grew up.
They dined on salad made with Tuscan kale and chives from a rooftop garden at the Gary Comer Youth Center. Culinary students helped Chicago chef Paul Kahan prepare the main course walleye and braised oxtail served on a table adorned with a flower arrangement that included marigolds grown by the center's "green team."
Any other day, the airy room with its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the gymnasium and the auditorium would be a typical cafeteria, filled with the chatter of young people having lunch. But Sunday, it was transformed into an elegant dining room with the trimmings of an official White House luncheon.
It was a great opportunity for the young people growing up in Greater Grand Crossing, a low-income community where most of the public schools are low-performing and fewer than half of the students graduate from high school. And the students, realizing that the world was watching, reveled in the attention.
read: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/natosummit/ct-met-nato-michelle-obama-20120521,0,1156654.story
The center, funded by the late Lands' End founder Gary Comer as a place where children could receive support to help them graduate from high school and go on to college, is well-known to Obama. She said she brought the first ladies of Croatia, Turkey, Norway, Albania and France, as well as the wife of the NATO secretary general to her hometown and "my backyard" so the world could see the amazing work being done there.
I brought them here because I am so proud of where I grew up, and I wanted to show everyone some of the wonderful things that are happening here on the South Side, Obama said before the South Shore Drill Team performed a routine to Frank Sinatras My Kind of Town.
I grew up just like you, Obama said to a group of black children. Same background. My family didnt have a lot of money growing up. Neither of my parents had the opportunity to go to college, and most of the folks in my neighbourhood didnt get a chance to go, either.
Sometimes, she said, she doubted herself.
"But I decided to just focus, to push the haters out, to kick the doubters out of my head," she said. "And instead, what I did was I worked really hard. I focused all my energy on working hard."
read: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/world/article/michelle-obama-shows-south-side-of-chicago-to-first-ladies/
After a tour of the center's rooftop garden and cooking demonstrations, the guests were entertained by the South Shore Dance Drill Team, the Soul Children of Chicago and the Muntu Dance Theatre. The groups performed a variety of acts, including hip-hop, African dance, drumming and tunes by Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.
In keeping with the first lady's "Let's Move" initiative, young people also showed the guests how they add fun to their workouts, performing hip-hop aerobics to the Jacksons' upbeat song "Can You Feel It."
Obama and Anne-Mette Rasmussen, wife of NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, clapped and danced to the gospel singing of the Soul Children of Chicago and also sampled a strawberry basil vinaigrette salad dressing made at the center.
Valerie Trierweiler, the domestic partner of French President Francois Hollande, and Turkish first lady Hayrunnisa Gul spoke with children on a rooftop garden about the heirloom tomatoes and cimmarron lettuce they were growing.
read: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-nato-summit-firstladies-idUSBRE84K02820120521?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews
excerpts from First Lady's remarks:
Way back when I was just starting out in my career in Chicago, I ran a little organization called Public Allies, where we worked to train 30 young people each year -- many of them like you -- for careers in public service. And since we started that program many years ago, leaders from that program have gone on to transform lives throughout this community and so many others not just here in Chicago, but around the country. But there are some very special ones who are here today, and I got to meet three public allies who are working here right now -- Miguel Rodriguez, Maurice Wilson, and Sinya Hayes, who are here. You guys -- are you here? (Applause.) Where are you? That's my public allies. That's like home.
This program was the reason -- one of the reasons why I left practicing law -- so you know I walked away from some money to do this work. But Public Allies will always have a special place in my heart.
I also remember back when this center was just an idea. And it is really amazing to see this phenomenal facility. I remember when it was just being built, and I can't begin to tell you how much it means to be here, seeing this thriving, inspiring, beautiful place just minutes from where I grew up -- a place where you all can come and learn and grow and pursue your dreams. I hope you know how blessed you are. And being here today, I see so much of myself in all of you young people. I really do.
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I grew up just like you. Same background. My family didn't have a lot of money growing up. Neither of my parents had the opportunity to go to college, and most of the folks in my neighborhood didn't get a chance to go, either. And there were also well-meaning but sometimes misguided folks who questioned whether someone with my background could get into the kind of colleges that I dreams of attending. And sometimes I'd save those folks the trouble and raise those questions of doubt in my own head; lying awake at night worrying about whether I had what it took to succeed.
But I decided to just focus, to push the haters out, to kick the doubters out of my head. And instead, what I did was I worked really hard. I focused all my energy on working hard. I spent hours every day trying to get my homework done, wrestling with those math problems, writing and rewriting those papers over and over again. We don't like it, but that's part of the process. Studying, getting up early in the morning to study, because we lived in such a little-bitty apartment that it was hard to concentrate at night when everybody was awake, so often I woke up at 4:30, 5:00 in the morning just to study in quiet. And eventually, I was accepted to Princeton University, and I went onto Harvard Law School. (Applause.)
And what I want you all to know is that with every acceptance letter I received, I realized that it didn't matter where I was from, didn't matter how much money my family had. What mattered was how deeply I was willing to believe in myself. Do you realize that? It was all here. What mattered was how hard I was willing to work. And that's something that I really want to emphasize with you all today.
You see, no one -- or maybe very few people are born smart. You become smart through hard work. No one is born a student or a doctor or a teacher or an astronaut. You become those things by studying and practicing and putting in those long hours in the classroom and the lab, wherever it is.
So today, you all, no matter what you have going on at home or in your life, no matter what challenges you all are facing, I just want to urge you all to invest yourself 100 percent in everything you do. Invest yourself 100 percent in school, in classes. Invest yourself 100 percent in these wonderful activities that you have here at the Comer Center.
If you dream of being a reporter on the evening news, then get involved with the Free Spirit Media -- take advantage of that. If you want to be a scientist, then get up on top of that roof and start studying those plants and working in that garden. If you want to be a mayor, if you want to be senator, maybe -- if you want to be President of the United States, then get involved in these wonderful leadership programs that are here. Embrace them. Take advantage of them.
And more than anything else, that is why Mr. Comer built this center. He built it because he believed in all of you, just like I believe in you, just like my husband, the President of the United States, believes in you all. And everyone at this center believes in you. Take that in.
full remarks by the First Lady at Gary Comer Youth Center - Chicago, Illinois
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2012/05/michelle_obama_south_side_nato.html
more pics: http://theobamadiary.com/2012/05/20/the-host-with-the-most-updating/
lunatica
(53,410 posts)I'm proud to have her representing us.
malaise
(269,278 posts)Super outfit
TBF
(32,139 posts)lunatica
(53,410 posts)She's a great role model and she's our Cheerleader in Chief too! Those kids need exactly what she is. The greatest role model who they can identify with because she came from their neighborhood.
I love this story.
bigtree
(86,016 posts)Michelle has everything going for her that anyone could want to aspire to. Yet, she's not too caught up in herself to spend the bulk of her time reaching out to help and inspire others to their own greatness and success. It's an unquenchable pleasure to watch both the Obamas in action. Truly extraordinary in their outreach.
I love this story, too, lunatica
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)she's not the one that goes to the oval office every morning. I think our country would be in better shape than it is now.
Spazito
(50,590 posts)I love that the First Lady chose the Youth Center as a place to showcase what is happening, what the youth at the center are doing and her speech to them was inspirational, she speaks from the heart.
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)She is so inspiring! How wonderful for those students!
Julie
Surya Gayatri
(15,445 posts)What a special person she is. Try as they might, the RW haters will never be able to take her amazing qualities away from her.
And the American public are smart enough to know genuine quality when they see it.
LynneSin
(95,337 posts)She'd be showcasing her million dollar horses and the latest car elevator added to the White House
Evoman
(8,040 posts)bigtree
(86,016 posts)Absolutely not, the first lady declared, when a girl at the White House for its Take Your Daughters And Sons To Work Day, asked if she will ever run for president.
One of the things you learn about yourself as you get older are what are your strengths and what are your interests, she said. And for me, its other stuff, that is not being the President. So I probably wont run.
When my husband is running for President, were right in there; were serving, too, she said. And I think that once his terms are over, well go on to do other important things because there are so many ways that you can help this country and the world, even if youre not president of the United States, she said.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/04/president-michelle-obama-absolutely-not/
coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)this example of Chicago's finest:
Someone has talked her into natural eyebrows? And an elegant suit. Very nice.
Iwillnevergiveup
(9,298 posts)What an elegant, brilliant First Lady we have! 4 more years!
tartan2
(314 posts)our lovely First Lady is to us! Thank you bigtree for the sharing.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)america. Coming from very humble beginnings to move to the top of life. How anyone could hate this woman is behond me. She is all of us. She hasn't forgotten where she came from. I am proud she is our first lady.
tru
(237 posts)southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)Carter. He left office with honor by not doing any harm to the country. But I do think Mrs Obama has been a very strong supporter of military and their families. As a wife of a retired military soldier I see her do things that no other wife has done. She walks the talk when it comes to the military families. She is there for them. Those family need that support.
tru
(237 posts)If we didn't have people volunteering for the military, we wouldn't be wasting trillions of dollars and many lives. I don't think that deserves praise, rather blame.
bigtree
(86,016 posts). . . with your curious logic.
'Blaming' folks for volunteering? 'Blaming' the First Lady? It's like you're scrambling to find reasons to be negative.
I'll echo southernyankeebelle:
"She walks the talk when it comes to the military families. She is there for them. Those families need that support"
Chew on that, tru.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)and their families you might find yourself or your loved ones drafted. So your comment says alot about you and it isn't pretty. Why don't you take a trip to a military base and see some of those families you are so against. See how they are struggling while their spouse is away. Go over to the hospitals where the wounded are coming back to for rehabit and getting their lives back together again. You might change your mind. You come off sounding so spoiled rotten.
great white snark
(2,646 posts)This veteran is touched by your wonderful response. Thank you southernyankeebelle.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)lifer and married to a lifer. Plus I worked for the military for many many years. I don't ever back out the door when I got my pay check. My husband, father, and father-in-law all earned their retirement with blood and sweat. If we all don't care then who the hell will?
tru
(237 posts)If the government had to resort to the draft, you'd see people in the streets protesting the wars, as happened in Vietnam. With volunteers, politicians get less resistance to their stupid wasteful wars.
The servicepeople who were drafted or volunteered in WWII, for example, were defending their country. Now they're risking their lives for the greater good of the military-industrial complex and damaging the country.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,257 posts)as well? What's your deal?
MsPithy
(809 posts)Cap sleeves look horrible on just about everyone. She is simply fabulous!
meti57b
(3,584 posts)Does she ever take a bad pic? .... actually, there is a small pic in that batch that's not the best .... but that is the first one ever, that I've seen.
Scurrilous
(38,687 posts)bigtree
(86,016 posts)southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)bigtree
(86,016 posts). . . very nice of the First Lady to take her under her wing.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)couple wasn't married.
politicasista
(14,128 posts)4 More Years of the FLOTUS and style!
freshwest
(53,661 posts)They are both running incredible schedules.
bigtree
(86,016 posts). . . NATO, G8, commencements, fundraisers . . .
I haven't seen one bit of flagging from either of them. Remarkable efforts.
President Barack Obama arrives for a photo and a working dinner at Soldier Field during NATO Summit in Chicago, Sunday, May 20, 2012.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)It's a testament to their healthy attitude and active lifestyle and a great example to children.
one_voice
(20,043 posts)K&R
young but wise
(869 posts)She is so awesome.
Rosa Luxemburg
(28,627 posts)Rhiannon12866
(206,712 posts)The First Lady is so warm and welcoming to everyone that I'm sure the other first ladies had a wonderful experience they'll always remember. And I agree that she looks especially lovely...
Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)very close to her heart. I can feel the intensity in her words and she looks really happy to be there.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,257 posts)tabasco
(22,974 posts)than anyone in the world.
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)blaze
(6,391 posts)Not sure what else to say... such a wonderful role model.