Succeeding While Black
Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, reduces racial inequality to a matter of psychological impairment that can be overcome through grit and grin.
Michelle Obama’s popularity is a remarkable political feat. Her ascent into the public spotlight, after all, began as a receptacle of rightwing misogynoir. From the suggestions that she was ill-tempered to the hideous portrayals of her as male or some kind of primatial hybrid, Obama endured scrutiny unprecedented in the history of the role of first lady. This was hardly surprising given that the pageantry and pomp of the office had become synonymous with white and wealthy “ladies.” Her opponents were quick to cast Obama—the dark skinned, Chicago native—as decidedly un-ladylike, characterizing her instead as an anti-American political militant.
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor March 13, 2019
Read the full article here Boston Review
Author Profile
Latest entries
Human Rights03/28/2025Trump executive order targets DEI at parks, museums and more
Racial Justice03/27/2025ASALH’S MAGNA CARTA
Human Rights03/25/2025Trump Wants Immigrants on U.S. Soil to Hand Over Social Media Accounts to Apply for Citizenship
Health Disparities03/24/2025For Indian Country, federal cuts decimate core tribal programs
