Michelle Obama, a 2018 EBONY Power 100 Entertainment & Arts honoree, is the cover star of the Dec. 2018/Jan. 2019 Power 100 issue.
In the interview, the former First Lady spoke about what makes Black women magical and she also spoke about her new memoir, Becoming.
In her book, Mrs. Obama discusses the liberating nature of her post-White House experience and how being a Black girl growing up on the South Side of Chicago helped her even when it may have caused some struggle. She shared her opinion on the weight of the Black-woman-as-savior trope with the publication.
“As for why the world sometimes looks to Black women—and I have to say that I wish the world turned to Black women more often than it does—I think it’s because we’ve got a perspective all our own,” the former first lady told EBONY. “If you’re growing up Black and female, you can’t help but really learn what’s going on down on the ground. You’re going to see a lot of the bottoms of people’s shoes coming down on you, so you learn to be nimble and resourceful.”
Mrs. Obama said the treatment of Black women leads them to be more grateful for what they have and be more optimistic about change. Living as an overlooked group compels Black women to be more sympathetic to the struggles of others.
“The trick is we need more people who are willing to listen to Black women, especially young Black women, to lift up our voices rather than shutting us out,” she added.