Michelle Obama Speaks About Her Family and the American Dream
Michelle Obama’s speech of family and middle class struggles brought emotion and tears to an audience of thousands Monday night at the Pepsi Center.
The intense heat and beating sun made the Pepsi Center a cool haven for convention attendees to witness history in the making as the Democratic Party’s candidate for first lady took the stage. The crowd was greeted with warm smiles from the potential first lady.
Michelle Obama was introduced by her brother Craig Robinson who reminisced on their childhood together and growing up with a sister who “memorized all episodes of the Brady Bunch” despite their limited TV time.
“She dedicates her life to the people with life struggles,” Robinson said regarding his sister’s compassion for others and her career in public service.
Robinson also remembered playing basketball with a young Barack Obama and judging his character by the way he played the sport.
“At 6’6″, I’ve often felt like Craig was looking down on me too, but the truth is that Craig wasn’t looking down on me; he was watching over me,” Michelle Obama said jokingly in response to her brother.
A brief video ran before Obama’s speech, describing her early life and the courtship between her and Senator Barack Obama that began in a law office in Chicago.
The personal glimpses into Michelle’s life gave humanity to the convention and the Obama family. This was felt most prominently at the end of her speech by the presence of her daughters on stage. The Obama family’s youngest daughter, Sasha, playfully adored (and unintentionally interrupted) her father who made a brief broadcast from Kansas City via satellite following Mrs. Obama’s speech.
Mrs. Obama showed off her own considerable public speaking skills by keeping the audience attentive throughout the course of her speech. She spoke a great deal about the importance of her family in her life.
“As a mom, these girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world. Their future and all of our children’s future is my stake in this election. My mother’s love has always been a staying force for our family,” she said.
Other topics Obama touched on included the American Dream, the recent 88th anniversary of women obtaining the right to vote in the US and the upcoming anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech. She also spoke passionately about the “ordinary folks” who make America a place where “you can make it if you try.”
“(Barack) urged us to believe in ourselves, find the strength within ourselves, to strive for the world as it should be. And isn’t that the great American Story?” she said, which received a supportive standing ovation from the convention.
Obama also made a point to commend Senator Hilary Clinton for her campaign efforts.
“Each of us have something to contribute to the life of this nation, and it’s a belief that Barack shares,” she said.
Her speech was largely directed to middle class issues and the problems of common Americans. She addressed the issues of educating children and their futures, health care, including mental health. She also mentioned her husband’s achievements working with underprivileged neighborhoods in Chicago
Drawing on the ordinary life of both her and her husband, Obama’s speech impressed the convention’s audience and connected with convention goers on a deep personal level ranging from her family life pre-marriage to her current situation as a mother of two small girls. Audience members could be seen wiping tears from their eyes as she mentioned these qualities of both her and her husband’s lives.
The standing ovation at the conclusion of her speech confirmed that the Democrats in Denver thoroughly enjoyed Obama’s heartfelt and emotional speech which concluded the first day of the Democratic National Convention.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Brittany Sovine at Brittany.Sovine@colorado.edu.
