The conviction of Derek Chauvin unquestionably was a move in the right direction for social justice. However, there is still much more work to do. Just like many Black mothers and fathers, Michelle Obama worries about Sasha and Malia having a police encounter that could end with an “assumption…being made by somebody who doesn’t know everything about them.”
WATCH: Former First Lady @MichelleObama tells @GayleKing why she and former POTUS @BarackObama felt it was important to speak out after the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty for the murder of George Floyd. pic.twitter.com/NApyPDqiRs
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) May 7, 2021
The former First Lady sat down with CBS This Morning’s Gayle King, speaking in depth about her feelings on the verdict, racism, BLM, and how we move forward.
“We can’t sort of say, ‘Great, that happened, let’s move on,’ ” Obama, 57, told King in her interview. “I know that 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 walking our dogs or allowing our children to get a license.”
She continued the conversation speaking specifically about her daughters, 19-year-old Sasha and 22-year-old Malia. Obama admitted that she worries for the girls’ safety whenever they leave home.
“They’re driving, but every time they get in a car by themselves, I worry about what assumption is being made by somebody who doesn’t know everything about them: 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 went on to say that those who have taken to the streets as a part of the Black Lives Matter protests are“taking to the streets because they have to.”
“All those Black Lives Matter kids, they’d rather not have to worry about this. They’re 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 sad and it’s dark, and it’s time for us to move beyond that.”
Recently, Obama has been speaking out more and more on injustice and racial equality. She has also released a young readers edition of her memoir, Becoming, geared towards children aged 10 and older.
Additionally, the former First Lady has partnered with the Girl Scouts of the USA on their “Becoming Me” program, based on the young reader edition of her book.
