The Perfected Woman PR Alert: Idolizing Michelle

Our new First Lady Michelle Obama is a prime example of a Perfected Woman.  I do not need to rehash all of the glorious attributes or the beautiful quarry of things that are being said about her.  Instead, this is a perfect opportunity to build a protective shield around her, just in time for the inauguration.

Before I continue, I have to reference the article that inspired this particular blogpiece.  It heralds Michelle Obama as a new role model for Black women.  Indeed.  But at the same time, I have to remind us that Michelle is an addition to the Black Women Role Model Club, not the charter member.  She, just like the rest of us, are standing on the shoulders of powerful Black women that sacrificed themselves for the betterment of a marginalized people.  It is imperative that we understand that Michelle Obama represents a core group of Black women who are socially adept and making powerful moves not only in our community, but the world.  While the mainstream media is treating this like a phenomenon, all of us, as Black women, should know better.

First Lady Michelle, as fly as she is, has a dynamic role awaiting her after January 20th.  Let’s examine it, shall we?  For starters, she is the wife of the first African American to hold the office as President of the United States.  Therefore, she has inherited all things that comes with that territory; both the good, the bad, the chartered, and the unchartered.  In addition, she has to continue to be the strength behind her husband as there will be days when the new President will stand in need of solace as the world bears down on his shoulders.  Besides the community service work that she pledges to do, she still has to be mommy to those pretty little girls, Sasha and Malia.

Can she handle it? C’mon now.  She’s a Black woman, Yes She Can!  But do we, as Black women, need to idolize her? No, we don’t.  So here, I’ll say it: First Lady Michelle Obama is not to be idolized, but she is to be supported, full fledged and wholeheartedly.  Let’s all consider her and the First Family as extended members of our family—constantly praying for them and protecting them from the vicious and persistent societal disease called Ignorance.

We, the micro community where the Obamas come from, should be the primary empathizers. First Lady Michelle and her family should be able to have a comfortable sense of normalcy when interacting with us over the next four years.  Let’s not detach ourselves from them and hoist them high on the mountaintop; that’s a vulnerable place to stand; especially when you are dealing with a people that can be as critical as Black folks.  If anything, First Lady Michelle should inspire us to become just as active as she plans to be, working in the community and tackling critical issues that not only we face but the rest of this nation.  Her motive is to be an example; not be the answer.

I believe that this would be a great time to pull out Black women from the annals of history; just to remind some of us that the excellence of Michelle Obama is actually a standard for us, not an exception.  To that end, prepare yourselves as I prepare a few blogpieces called The Cloud of Witnesses.

CK