Michelle
Obama Addresses Racist Attacks She Endured As First Lady
By Rebecca Shapiro
Michelle Obama has
opened up in front of a crowd of about 8,500 at the Women’s Foundation of
Colorado’s 30th anniversary event in Denver about her experience as America’s
first black first lady.
Obama spoke about
smashing the glass ceiling as she was interviewed Tuesday by WFCO President and
CEO Lauren Casteel at the Pepsi Center ― the same venue where she addressed
thousands at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Casteel asked which of
the falling glass shards cut the deepest, according to the Denver Post.
“The shards that cut me
the deepest were the ones that intended to cut,” Obama said. “Knowing that
after eight years of working really hard for this country, there are still
people who won’t see me for what I am because of my skin color.”
Obama referenced racist
attacks she endured, including being called an ape and disparaging references
made about her body.
The former first lady
faced an onslaught of racist insults while her husband, former President
Barack Obama, was in office. Even after the 2016 presidential election, two
West Virginia officials lost their jobs for referring to Obama as an
“ape in heels” in a Facebook post celebrating President Donald Trump’s
victory.
Throughout Obama’s two
terms, she shared during commencement addresses and in some interviews how
she coped with the racist attacks she had to face.
“When they go low, I go
high,” Obama told graduates of the historically black Jackson State University
in April 2016. “That’s the choice Barack and I have made. That’s what’s kept us
sane over the years.”
In Denver, the Post
added, Obama said that she doesn’t pretend such vicious attacks don’t hurt her,
because it lets those doing the hurting off the hook.
During the event, she
also again stressed that she does not plan to run for public office. Head over
to the Denver Post to read more about Obama’s wide-ranging conversation. For more
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