Michelle Obama Dispatches Stars to D.C. Schools

[CatWoman]

First Lady Michelle Obama and 21 other mega-watt stars, billionaires, actresses, philanthropists, and business women met at the White House this morning, where Mrs. Obama told them their task was to go out to schools and share their life stories, real stories and real challenges with students across the Washington area, and "make the kids understand where we stand is not an impossibility."

In the White House Diplomatic Room, a quaint oval room with soft, pale carpeting and soft lights, the scene was jaw-dropping in its concentration of talent.

Actresses hugged singers. And singers hugged actresses. There was Sheryl Crow in black jeans and black platforms chatting with WNBA star Lisa Leslie. Across the room, actress and choreographer Debbie Allen, in a white baseball cap, was talking with actress Alfre Woodard. Near the back, Actress Phylicia Rashad talked with Olympic medalist Dominique Dawes.

Alicia Keys in jeans and a striped blue and black blazer stood in front of an oil painting of George Washington, and talked with actress Fran Drescher. Oscar nominated actress Alfre Woodard helped cosmetics company founder Bobbi Brown with her earring.

They all applauded when Mrs. Obama walked into the room.

Mrs. Obama told the women that she had long envisioned an event like this where she would bring accomplished women together on one day to go to schools in the region and talk to kids -- girls especially -- to inspire them, to help them reach their goals. To dream big. To work hard.

Her office said they began planning this event in February to be timed to Women's History Month.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/19/AR2009031902093.html?hpid=moreheadlines

[AngryAmish]

1. Now I'm sure the public schools will surely improve

There will be a spike in test scores next year, I guarantee it!

[smalll]

3. Of course. Nothing will motivate the kids in the D.C. schools to focus on academics more...

... than sending in a bunch of people who got really rich and famous as athletes or in show business! :eyes:

[cherokeeprogressive]

5. I wonder how many of those rich and famous people have children in public schools.

Will the message be "Get rich and famous like me and you'll get to send YOUR kids to private schools"?

[CatWoman]

7. I think both of you are out of line with your snippy sarcasm

having lived in such areas as this, I should think it would be a huge boost for these kids to meet people who have "made it", and know that it is not an impossiblity for them.

right now the only "role models" they have are drug dealers.

[DevonRex]

10. They'd piss and moan about anything Michelle did, so don't waste your time.

And to think that they're implying that say, Alisha Keyes, didn't have to study and work HARD to get where she is is just beyond ridiculous.

[roguevalley]

23. agreed, catwoman. at the heart of every successful person is

tenacity and discipline. a lot of successful people are dyslexic and to succeed anyway will help kids with obstacles to be persistent. There are plenty of things to criticise. Successful women from a lot of different backgrounds trying to inspire kids is not one of them. Uh, I wonder how Laura Bush did with the gangs? :)

[EFerrari]

27. I wish I were twenty years younger so I could go score a job working for Michelle.

She's one smart lady and we're so lucky she's in a leadership role. :hi:

[cherokeeprogressive]

35. Possibly out of line. Conceded. But the First Lady met with only 13 students at

Anacostia High School. 13 students picked to meet with the First Lady because of their "potential". What kind of message does that send to the OTHER students at Anacostia High School?

Did the other rich and famous people who took tea at the White House with the First Lady this morning ALSO meet with a chosen few who had "potential"?

[otohara]

42. Work Hard

and rewards will follow.

Your horns are showing.

[Hansel]

47. Yes. Work hard. Good answer. n/t

[genna]

52. It is 13 more students than heard pip from any previous administrations

How many past First Ladies took it upon themselves to get involved with local DC, much less SE, SW DC?

[proud2BlibKansan]

54. The alternative is no visits at all

That message is worse than this one sent today, which is work hard and you too can spend time with one of these women.

I teach in an urban school and think this is a wonderful program. Good for our first lady to organize this!

[proud2BlibKansan]

53. Thank you

Also don't forget they have teachers like me as role models too:)

[Rosa Luxemburg]

55. you are right Catwoman

[Number23]

57. I agree. And I LOVE what Michelle's trying to do

She also featured successful businesswomen aka Bobbi Brown and others but I'm sure that won't stop the naysayers. :)

Thanks for posting.

[EFerrari]

20. Right. Because kids don't respond to creative, successful people.

:sarcasm:

[DevonRex]

29. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Who is going to grab ANY kid's attention?

Not some guy in a suit carrying a briefcase.

This is about the beginning of dreams, how to make those dreams happen. Once their attention is gotten, who knows what those kids might dream of doing with their lives?

They might dream of being musicians or athletes. They might dream of curing cancer or stopping global warming or ending hunger. But they first need to know that it's OKAY to dream, it's GOOD to dream, and know that it takes dedication to achieve those dreams.

[EFerrari]

31. Teaching kids to dream makes successful kids faster than anything else.

:)

[Hell Hath No Fury]

33. What part of this didn't you get?

"...21 other mega-watt stars, billionaires, actresses, philanthropists, and business women".

Sounds like a well-rounded group of highly successful women to me.

[stillcool]

48. yeah really..send in the astronauts...

they are so much more inspirational.

[LanternWaste]

51. Sounds to me like the message is simply, "we care..."

Sounds to me like the message is simply, "we care about you..."



However, I've never been one to subscribe to the neo-trendy, marketed cynicism we carry around with us along with our sandals, shades, cappuccinos and our copies of Zinn's A People's History -- although it looks good on t-shirts, too many people only apply it to others rather than to themselves also.

Although I'm not as clever by half as most of you, I simply inferred that the message is: We Care.

[Cha]

2. Rec'd~ I love that the Obamas

are bringing so many people into process and into the People's House:patriot::patriot:

This is an excellent idea for Women's History Month~ I love all those participants:loveya:

[PBS Poll-435]

4. I am so happy that Dominique Dawes was invited to this event!

She is a DC native (Silver Spring, MD) and made a lot of firsts in her sport.

1st African-American female gymnast to win a Olympic Gold Medal (Team Gold 1996 Atlanta Games)

1st African-American female gymnast to win an individual Olympic medal (Bronze - FX 1996 Atlanta Games)

1st African American gymnast to be in 3 Olympic Games (1992, 1996, 2000)

1st female gymnast EVER to win the All-Around and all 4 Gold individual medals at the US Championships (1994)



Former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes (L) poses next to WNBA basketball star Lisa Leslie during the signing ceremony of an executive order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls at the White House in Washington March 11, 2009.



Former gymnast and Olympic medalist Dominique Dawes of the U.S. waves as she arrives at the opening ceremony of a display of Terracotta warriors at a Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Pavilion August 6, 2008.

[DevonRex]

6. Excellent! These are women that the kids will recognize and get excited about.

So I'm pretty happy that Michelle organized this event and I love the choices.

[empyreanisles]

9. Dominique has really filled out -- DAYUM!!! :) (n/t)

[CatWoman]

11. Awesome Dawesome

:)

[roguevalley]

24. I love Lisa Leslie's dress. I love tall women who stand up straight.

rv, aunt to tall girls.

[ieoeja]

8. Hate to dis the lady, but this is horribly stupid.

What would be good is a bunch of African-American professionals telling them how they made it into a comfortable, middle-class lifestyle through the conventional means of non-Ivy League education applied to a job in the corporate world.

Because for every actress, there are a thousand prostitutes who didn't get the brass ring.

For every NBA basketball player, there are a thousand guys who weren't good enough and had nothing to fall back on but dealing drugs.

For every singer, there are a thousand gangsters who thought they would be the next rap star.

[DevonRex]

12. So tell them not to try to be an actress because they're more likely to be prostitutes?????

BULLSHIT.

[DevonRex]

14. And don't try to be an NBA player because they'll just end up dealing drugs???????

[DevonRex]

16. And don't try to be a singer because they'll just end up failed rap star gansters????

[EFerrari]

17. There is no success without first imagining and then, trying.

Most performers that I know who dropped out are neither prostitutes nor gangsters. They're writers, producers, teachers, trainers, designers and entrepreneurs.

ETA: In fact, I don't know any prostitutes or gangsters and most of my friends are in the arts.

[DevonRex]

18. BULLSHIT.

[firedupdem]

19. What the hell are you talking about? You act as if those kids have

never seen anyone work in the corporate world! I'm sure most of them have parents that do. So keep their aspirations low since prostitution and selling drugs is a much closer reality?

[DevonRex]

22. Well, you know, they're...

black. So the best they can hope for is some middle class existence.

:sarcasm:

[ieoeja]

37. It is WHITE people who mostly only hope for some middle class existence.

Far too often Black teens are told they can NOT hope for some middle class existence. How many times have you heard an athlete say, "I knew basketball was the only chance I had to get out."

No, that was NOT the only chance you had to get out. But he believed that was his only way out. And far too many other Black teens believe that as well.

Gangsters come in two varieties: those who learned it from their parents and those who believe a middle class existence is either unattainable or undesirable.

Do you agree with that latter mindset? Are you trying to say that Blacks can NOT hope for some middle class existence? Or that a middle class existence isn't good enough?

[DevonRex]

44. Look, make your point without all the stereotyping of black kids. Prostitute, drug dealer,

and gangster doesn't sit well with this white woman AT ALL.

[ieoeja]

40. But those aren't the at-risk kids.

A kid with middle-class parents is probably going to be succesful in life. And even have the familial support system in place that would help them reach for the stars. While I have been quite successful, I'd have done better had my parents not intentionally held me back. They even came to realize that themselves shortly before they died.

I am far more worried about those kids that do NOT have that kind of role model. Those who believe that, "sports was my only way out," as the cliche goes. And those who'd rather "strike it rich" dealing drugs -- ever met a wealthy drug dealer? neither have I -- than settle for a middle-class lifestyle.

[firedupdem]

41. I was raised in a middle class two parent household on the south

side of Chicago. Out of 4 kids, three finished college and live pretty decent middle class lives and one barely finished High School and chose the rough side of the mountain. I don't do stereotypes. I have friends of all colors in the rainbow from all sorts of backgrounds. They have family members who chose to be on or sell drugs and those who didn't.

Young kids in school look up to those they see on television, in the movies or playing professional sports. They listen to them sometimes more quickly than they do their own families or other "regular" successful middle class people. Saying that it's dumb for people like Mae Jemison, or Dominique Dawes, or Sheryl Crow to talk to these kids is wrong in my opinion. I'm happy Michelle is bringing successful, celebrity status women in to talk to these kids. There may be just one sentence shared that changes a life.

[empyreanisles]

21. I don't think it's that bad, but I agree with your post

The black people you rarely hear about are those that quietly move into the middle classes due to careers in engineering, medicine, business, etc.

[EFerrari]

25. Michelle comes from a middle class family. She knows exactly what she's doing. n/t

[Hansel]

49. And Obama was a community organizer in Chicago.

He'd probably tell her if this was ill advised.

I think that the Obama's know what they're doing here.

[firedupdem]

28. And you think those kids aren't aware of them? Who do you think

will have more impact at a school visit? Mr. and Mrs. Jones the bankers? Or some star? I'm sure the entire point of the exercise was to show that with hard work you can attain your dreams. The only choices aren't star or drug dealer/prostitute. Even the kids aren't that dumb.

[roguevalley]

26. and for everyone with a dream, there are thousands who moved on

toward other things. you underestimate this as an impact on kids.

[LynneSin]

34. Hate to dis the poster but you are so terribly wrong

These people didn't go in there and say "Oh you should be a rock star or basketball player or singer". They went in there to say that you should live your dream, you can be anything you want to be if you just apply yourself. This is not a message just for African-American kids but all children.

[Cha]

45. Your post is incredibly stupid..

Thankfully, Michelle is getting people involved.

[proud2BlibKansan]

56. So it would have been smarter to have prostitutes, drug dealers and gangsters

go visit the kids?

:wtf:

[fortyfeetunder]

59. I beg to differ - the middle class does visit the schools.

There are numerous professional organizations, for example Blacks in Government, and National Society of Black Engineers, to name a couple of examples, whose mission is to actively participate in the community and encourage students to pursue professional education. They have pre-college programs, offer scholarships and professional development programs all aimed to people interested in being professionals.

[EFerrari]

13. Good for her! K&R

[firedupdem]

15. Mae Jemison was there as well. Great! n/t

[Frances]

30. I taught high school in a DC suburb a long time ago

It wasn't cool for the African American kids to do well academically at that time. My guess is that now that the kids see Obama as President and his wife as a successful lawyer and their two kids studying hard, it's a lot cooler to make good grades and to be in the top classes.

I think that Michelle Obama's idea is a good one.

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

32. Why wasn't this covered on the networks? It seems like a fun even a lot of people

would want to watch. i would.

[woo me with science]

43. Michelle's discussion with a group of kids at Anacostia High School

played on C-SPAN radio. She was amazing, and I was in tears.

[politicasista]

36. I like this idea

Not because I love Michelle, but all of those women are ones that students can look up too.

Noticing also that some of those names are FLMO's sorority sisters. That's a beautiful thing. :bounce:

The Obamas are making the White House the People's House. Nothing wrong with that. :)

[Fleshdancer]

38. GOOD!

Does anyone here who is upset over this even remember being a kid?? I call bullshit on anyone who claims that they wouldn't have listened to a celebrity back in the day. You expect your parents and teachers to talk about education being important, but when your "hero" is looking you in the eye and telling you this, it's just different.

My elementary school had this program just for the boys where University of Texas (male) athletes would come and talk to them about how important school is. Since Austin is a college town, when the quarter back comes to your school, it's a HUGE deal. I remember being so mad because my school didn't do this for the girls. Just the boys.

[Starry Messenger]

39. Wow. That just brought tears of joy to my eyes.

What an awesome idea. Think of all the girls today who got to see all these wonderful women. The last 8 years have been so gray and monolithic with authoritarian males in government. It's really special to see more faces and voices now.

[elleng]

46. High schools

.

[PBS Poll-435]

50. Kick!

:kick:

[fortyfeetunder]

58. I think it was a damned good idea

Although I have mixed feelings about the entertainers being part of the mix, I think the diversity in careers was admirable.

The only concern is I hope this is not the end of her mission to visit the DC schools, and a similar visit occurs rotates to the remaining high schools in DC. I know one that was visited, by the celebrities, Coolidge HS was the same one then Pres-Elect and Mrs. Obama visited the day before Inauguration Day, so I think that was a bit "double-banging" it for Coolidge. (Though there may be more to the story than what is reported!)