Former first lady Michelle Obama recently spoke at the 30th anniversary event for the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, she talked about one of the most difficult parts of being in the public eye. In a conversation with the foundation’s President and CEO Lauren Casteel, she said the racism was one of the most painful things she endured. The Denver Post reports:
“The shards that cut me the deepest were the ones that intended to cut,” [Michelle Obama] said, referencing being called an ape and people talking about her bottom. “Knowing that after eight years of working really hard for this country, there are still people who won’t see me for what I am because of my skin color.”
She said she can’t pretend like it doesn’t hurt because that lets those who do the hurting off the hook.
She then takes the lesson to apply to some of the everyday challenges of all women.
“Women, we endure those cuts in so many ways that we don’t even notice we’re cut,” she said. “We are living with small tiny cuts, and we are bleeding every single day. And we’re still getting up.”
But Obama said women should own their scars. Referring to failure, she said those wounds hurt deeply but they heal with time. If women own their scars, they can encourage younger girls who are getting their first cuts.
She has a great point here. It may feel nice to pretend that words do not hurt, but that couldn’t be the further from the truth. Obama committed a great act of vulnerability and courage to make public admissions that, yes, racist “jokes” are painful, too.