With about 50 days left and two weeks since our new president was elected, I can’t help but reflect on President Obama’s terms and what that meant to me.
I was 14 when Barack Obama was elected as president. I was in awe that the U.S. finally had its first family of color in the White House. The first man of color running the country and a woman of color, who shared the same name as my own mother, in the White House!
As someone who wasn't born in the U.S., (my family moved here when I was 6), I was in awe that I got to witness history. Although I didn’t see it in person, I had a front row seat in front of my living room TV, to watch the election be called, and another the morning of his inauguration.
In his eight years in office, President Obama and First lady Michelle Obama have been the perfect example of role models I want my younger cousins and future children to admire.
Thank you, Michelle Obama, for being a fearless, funny and elegant woman.
Let Girls Learn, Lets Move, Healthier Lunches, Fashion Education and Arts Education are some of her initiatives for young children and young women. I am left in awe of how powerful she is. As a young woman of color, I am truly grateful for her advocacy and her push to make sure that the rest of the world knows that we matter. As Rashida Jones said in her New York Times thank you to "MO," as Mrs. Obama is affectionately known, “Enter Michelle Obama, outspoken activist, a woman who isn’t afraid to remind us she is a proud African-American woman, which is, in itself, revolutionary.”
Although he was criticized, President Obama has proven to be one of the best U.S. presidents. He took the U.S. out of several crises. His eight years in office have been eye-opening for many. He implemented equal rights for the LGBTQ community, and as someone with LGBTQ friends, it delights me to know that he cared enough to fight for them. Another good to come out of his presidency was his healthcare reform: Coming from a city in which many lack health care -- until Obamacare -- it’s definitely something to thank him for. He’s proven to be the first president to actually care to relate to the people.
The Obama’s background, their South Side Chicago upbringing, their struggle to reach this point, their achievements, their optimistic outlook on this country, are what have uplifted me.