Michelle Obama Addresses “Angry Black Woman” Image in Gayle King Interview
The First Lady appeared on the new Gayle King’s new show “CBS This Morning” today to dispel some of the claims made in a new book about her family’s time in the White House. “The Obamas,” written by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, includes claims of friction between Michelle Obama and White House staff and has been heavily criticized for its factual accuracy. Addressing some of that controversy, Ms. Obama explained that not only does she consider most of her husband’s staff good friends, but the media portrayal of herself has always been inaccurately skewed.
From CBS News:
“I guess it’s more interesting to imagine this conflicted situation here and a strong woman and– you know? But that’s been an image that people have tried to paint of me since the day Barack announced, that I’m some angry black woman.”
Political backlash in 3…2…oh well.
In other parts of the interview, which covers numerous topics, Michelle Obama also discussed her parenting approach in raising two children under the media spotlight that the presidency brings:
“It has been a privilege, from day one. Now, there are challenges with being a mother and trying to keep your kids sane. And I worry a lot about that. I mean, if there’s any anxiety that I feel, it’s because I want to make sure that my girls come out of this on the other end whole. But me, Barack, we’re grown-ups. You know, all the ups and downs, we take it on.”
Watch more of the interview below.
What do you think of Michelle Obama’s words?
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Not only has the media tried to portray her as the typical “ABW”, they try to portray her and the president as so many other negative things. This is a case of haters gonna hate.
I agree, haters gone hate. But I am happy she tackled this issue straight on
The media has been scathing on her image-even going to the extent and taking inapt and very disrespectful digs of her physical image. I do not know why, the media never went to those extents when Laura Bush was First Lady. I guess, when it is a minority in office it is quite A-OKAY to be disrespectful and be all up in their space?! Iunno. But, she handled it with grace and class!
What kills me is…everyone left Laura Bush alone. Even if people talked about her, it wasn’t on this level, where politicians made comments regarding her body, offensive pictures…it never got to that. You get one smart, strong black woman in the White House and no one knows how to behave. But the Obamas have my support 100%.
Exactly! And Laura Bush actually killed someone, but you rarely hear about that. But you can’t go a day without someone talking negatively about Michelle’s butt, travel, clothes, face, hair, lifestyle. EVERYTHING has been dissected and picked apart about our First Lady. Some people will never be happy with black people in the white house.
I feel you on that, Simone…I have no problem with Michelle. She seems like a very classy person. But people will not leave her alone.
I’ve heard so many disrespectful comments about her…she’s uppity, she’s ugly, looks like a monkey, her clothes are frumpy, her butt is too big, she has a bad attitude, etc.
I’m definitely a supporter of the Obamas. The haters need to sit down somewhere.
I agree @ African Mami, it has been so ridiculous the thing that the media and GOP members have stated about her. It seems that when minorities are int he public eye in this position they have to take the high road and not respond but is so out of line.
They try to do play so much of the positive that the Obama family represent. I hope that minorities will keep the trend going and run for office and take over, at the very least stand up for one another more and make sure that we are respected.
I love Michelle, and I’m glad she mentioned how the media has tried to portray her – I agree, they have done everything in their power to diminish the good person, wife, and mother that Michelle Obama is, and by extension, has tried to do the same thing to all Black women in America. Especially since President Barack Obama got into office, like she said.
But on a different note, I have to say that I object to Black women repeating the terms “Angry Black Woman”. Angry Black woman is being used in the same way that “Strong Black Woman” was used – to limit us. Limit us in a different way, but limit us nonetheless.
See, the problem with Angry Black Woman is that it effectively quiets dissent – while everyone is having their fun mistreating Black women, we Black women are in fear of protesting our poor treatment for fear of being labeled “Angry Black Women” – even though we SHOULD be angry. Black women have the RIGHT to be angry. Everyday, more and more efforts are being made to push us out of our own communities, to separate us from allmen, and to make us into the undesirables/untouchables in our own group. Every few months, some new insult to Black women – obvious insults against Black women – pops up, and everyone stays quiet because we are so afraid of the “Angry” label. Thus no one protests these obvious efforts – via the media, such as Mrs. Obama mentioned, from our own men, and even coming from within our own communities. Thus the poor treatment continues, the divide and conquer methods keep heaping up, Black men and women grow further and further apart, Black relations fall apart.
If more Black women would take their anger and use it to protest the societal push to effectively eliminate who we really are, instead of throwing punches at each other on TV, w would not be so quickly moving backwards in America. Be angry – and use it effectively to win!
@Jess
Sorry babe but we have squandered our chances. We used so much of our “anger” on dumb stuff, no one wants to listen anymore. We cried wolf too too many times.
Jess, while I agree with you that black women have the right to be angry and should not silence that anger, I think the point here with the “Angry Black Woman” label is that this is a label that is often placed on us when we are just engaging in normal conversation or daily activities as a way to demean us. It has little to do with our reaction.
I also don’t understand how “Strong Black Woman” is used to limit us. I happily embrace that title and do not find it limiting in any manner.
And QON….what a silly comment.
@MySistersKeeper: While I mainly think its used to silence us, particularly in the realm of relations between Black women and how we’re treated by the media, White people, and Black men, I agree that you make a great point about using Angry Black Woman to demean us in just regular conversation. Latinas are spicy – we’re just angry. Crap as usual.
As for Strong Black Women, it’s a definite stranglehold and setup.Black women think that we should be Strong and take care of everything – and the Black community and Black men think so to, so they do nothing – many won’t commit to families and marriage, or take responsibility for problems happening in the community wrought by them. We, Black women, are supposed to just take everything in stride – take care of kids by ourselves and expect nothing more, raise the entire BC on our backs, turn our sons into men by ourselves, and not expect that the other 50% of the race help, or, raise the ** dead. imho ** Black family by ourselves.
No group of people in history before us has ever expected only one half of their people (the women)to raise families , no one expects single motherhood to be normalized – men should have an equal role and take equal responsibility, noone expects that one half of the population to routinely be abandoned by the other half of the population (the men), except us.
Keeping up the Strong Black Woman mime just heaps more and more hardship and blame on Black women for the failings of the BC. The Strong Black Woman, and “I’m just a Black Man living in America” (i.e victim and not equating Black women with suffering too, no responsibility, lazy mentality) has truly wrecked the community, and basically has brought about the demise of the Black family. But that’s another thread, I guess.
@ Jess
I have been saying this (what you wrote in your second post) for a while now…I am glad someone else shares the same belief…:-)
I get the sense she cant wait to get out of the White House.
That’s a good point. I wouldn’t blame her if she feels that way, because being FLOTUS is a difficult job, especially when you are the first Black woman to hold that position.
She has taken a lot of criticism and disrespect. Hell, some of the Republicans have made attacks on her children as well…I remember what they said about Malia when she had her hair braided.
I don’t understand why ppl think it’s ok to say rude and ignorant things about someone and then when a statement is made to address or clarify any misconceptions someone has it’s always deemed as being angry when it’s a black woman responding.
I agree with you. To be fair, there are some Black women who embody this stereotype…but there are women of ALL races with bad attitudes.
I’m very shy and soft-spoken but I often deal with this too. I’ve had people accuse me of being angry or having an attitude when I was just minding my business. Some people just want to see every Black woman as having an attitude problem. I’m quiet. I don’t walk around pissed off all the time. But it does make me angry that Black women are stereotyped in general because of the actions of a few.
No one says anything when a white woman or a Latina decides to wild out, but Black women are labeled “angry” if we speak our minds.
Haha I agree with you, sounds like what ppl say about me. I’m an introvert, but very goofy. I’m very particular about who I associate myself with so not many see that side of me. I remember when I first went away to college ppl would tell me that they thought I was mean and had an attitude because every time they saw me I always looking so serious and like I didn’t want to be bothered and this was before even having a conversation with me, but once they got to know me they said that it was more to me than what they saw and that I was down to earth and a cool person to be around.
It’s just a shame that ppl can pass judgement on someone just based off of what they see and stereotypes when they have never even had a real conversation with the person. That’s why I hate stereotypes becasuse it leads to prejudice. People are grouped in one category and then are judged as a whole according to the actions of some people in that group. Everyone’s actions should say something about who they are not who everyone else is!
I liked the interview, but Gayle King forgot to take her objective stance as a journalist, as she was called. She took a personal side as Mrs. Obama’s friend and supporter.
To be fair, people had some very very nasty things to say about Hillary Clinton. Hillary was roasted on the daily.
This is true, but it is mostly because she is a Democrat. Some people commented on Hilary showing cleavage but she was never disrespected as badly as Michelle.
With Michelle Obama, the attacks are often based on her race as well as her gender. Hilary has white privilege to back her up.
QON, they let Hilary Clinton have it pretty much every time she showed her face in public- her and her husband!!!! The attacks didn’t stop with them, they even went after their daughter Chelsea a couple of times.
When I read it, I did see her as an angry black woman, but as the only person in the white house with the backbone to stand up for progressive values. I saw her as more of an activist rather than a mad woman. But I guess one person’s activist is another person’s mad (wo)man
I think I am more attuned to what is being said about FLOTUS because I am a black women. I think that the negativity comes partly because she is a Democrat and partly because she is Black. I believe that the Republican Party is flat out racist so they have no problem taking double jabs at her whenever they have the chance.
I think she handled the interview well and was honest. I love Gayle and Michelle so it was nice to see them in an interview together, even though Gayle couldn’t be as objective as just another journalist.
On the topic of Angry Black Woman I don’t think she would have been so candid about that had it been another journalist (white), and maybe wouldn’t even have commented on the book they were discussing, but because she trusted Gayle she was fully responsive.
Tthe most angry, sneaky, hateful women in the world are White, Ameican women. No one addresses them. No one blames or accuses them. They can even committ murder and no one takes issue with these White women. I am a little disappointed that Mrs. Obama addressed the ABW issue. I wish she would have ignored it, but now she is helping a White woman sell her book.