Michelle Obama shared the concerns she has as the mother of two Black daughters “every time they get in a car by themselves” in a new interview with “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King.
“I worry about what assumption is being made by somebody who doesn’t know everything about them,” the former
first lady said of Malia, 22, and Sasha, 19.
“The fact that they are good students and polite girls but maybe they’re playing their
music a little loud, maybe somebody sees the back of their head and makes an assumption,” Obama continued in a preview clip of the interview released Friday.
The “innocent act” of getting a driver’s license is enough to put fear into the hearts of Black parents, she added. The full sit-down will air Monday, May 10.
Obama’s comments about her daughters’ safety came after she explained why she and husband former President
Barack Obama felt compelled to speak out following the conviction of former Minneapolis
police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd.
In a statement, the couple welcomed the verdict but said “true justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day” and “requires us to recognise that millions of our
Friends, family, and fellow citizens live in fear that their next encounter with law enforcement could be their last.”“We know that while we’re all breathing a sigh of relief over the verdict, there is still work to be done. We can’t sort of say, ’Great, that happened, let’s move on,’” Obama explained to King. “I know people in the Black community don’t feel that way because many of us still live in fear, as we go to the grocery store, or worry about our … walking our dogs… or allowing our children to get a license.”
Obama also commended the Black Lives Matter
protesters, whose message spread nationwide in the wake of Floyd’s killing last May.
“They are taking to the streets because they have to,” she said. “They’re trying to have people understand that we’re real folks and the fear that many have of so many of us is irrational. And it’s based on a history that is just … sad and it’s dark. And it’s time for us to move beyond that.”
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