Michelle: Barack and I ‘Both Felt the Sting’ Racist ‘Daily Slights Throughout Our’ Lives

“The road ahead is ░░░░░░░░ going to be easy ░░░░░░░░ never is especially for ░░░░░░░░ like you and me ░░░░░░░░ while we ve come ░░░░░░░░ far the truth is ░░░░░░░░ those age old problems ░░░░░░░░ stubborn and they haven ░░░░░░░░ fully gone away So ░░░░░░░░ will be times just ░░░░░░░░ for those airmen when ░░░░░░░░ feel like folks look ░░░░░░░░ past you or they ░░░░░░░░ just a fraction of ░░░░░░░░ you really are The ░░░░░░░░ won t always see ░░░░░░░░ in those caps and ░░░░░░░░ They won t know ░░░░░░░░ hard you worked and ░░░░░░░░ much you sacrificed to ░░░░░░░░ it to this day ░░░░░░░░ countless hours you spent ░░░░░░░░ to get this diploma ░░░░░░░░ multiple jobs you worked ░░░░░░░░ pay for school the ░░░░░░░░ you had to drive ░░░░░░░░ and take care of ░░░░░░░░ grandma the evenings you ░░░░░░░░ up to volunteer at ░░░░░░░░ food bank or organize ░░░░░░░░ campus fundraiser They don ░░░░░░░░ know that part of ░░░░░░░░ Instead they will make ░░░░░░░░ about who they think ░░░░░░░░ are based on their ░░░░░░░░ notion of the world ░░░░░░░░ my husband and I ░░░░░░░░ how frustrating that experience ░░░░░░░░ be We ve both ░░░░░░░░ the sting of those ░░░░░░░░ slights throughout our entire ░░░░░░░░ the folks who crossed ░░░░░░░░ street in fear of ░░░░░░░░ safety the clerks who ░░░░░░░░ a close eye on ░░░░░░░░ in all those department ░░░░░░░░ the people at formal ░░░░░░░░ who assumed we were ░░░░░░░░ help and those who ░░░░░░░░ questioned our intelligence our ░░░░░░░░ even our love of ░░░░░░░░ country And I know ░░░░░░░░ these little indignities are ░░░░░░░░ nothing compared to what ░░░░░░░░ across the country are ░░░░░░░░ with every single day ░░░░░░░░ nagging worries that you ░░░░░░░░ going to get stopped ░░░░░░░░ pulled over for absolutely ░░░░░░░░ reason the fear that ░░░░░░░░ job application will be ░░░░░░░░ because of the way ░░░░░░░░ name sounds the agony ░░░░░░░░ sending your kids to ░░░░░░░░ that may no longer ░░░░░░░░ separate but are far ░░░░░░░░ equal the realization that ░░░░░░░░ matter how far you ░░░░░░░░ in life how hard ░░░░░░░░ work to be a ░░░░░░░░ person a good parent ░░░░░░░░ good citizen for some ░░░░░░░░ it will never be ░░░░░░░░ Applause And all of ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ heavy burden to carry ░░░░░░░░ can feel isolating It ░░░░░░░░ make you feel like ░░░░░░░░ life somehow doesn t ░░░░░░░░ that you re like ░░░░░░░░ invisible man that Tuskegee ░░░░░░░░ Ralph Ellison wrote about ░░░░░░░░ those years ago And ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen over ░░░░░░░░ past few years those ░░░░░░░░ are real They re ░░░░░░░░ in decades of structural ░░░░░░░░ that have made too ░░░░░░░░ folks feel frustrated and ░░░░░░░░ And those feelings are ░░░░░░░░ out in communities like ░░░░░░░░ and Ferguson and so ░░░░░░░░ others across this country ░░░░░░░░ But graduates today I ░░░░░░░░ to be very clear ░░░░░░░░ those feelings are not ░░░░░░░░ excuse to just throw ░░░░░░░░ our hands and give ░░░░░░░░ Applause Not an excuse ░░░░░░░░ are not an excuse ░░░░░░░░ lose hope To succumb ░░░░░░░░ feelings of despair and ░░░░░░░░ only means that in ░░░░░░░░ end we lose But ░░░░░░░░ s the thing our ░░░░░░░░ provides us with a ░░░░░░░░ story a better blueprint ░░░░░░░░ how we can win ░░░░░░░░ teaches us that when ░░░░░░░░ pull ourselves out of ░░░░░░░░ lowest emotional depths and ░░░░░░░░ channel our frustrations into ░░░░░░░░ and organizing and banding ░░░░░░░░ then we can build ░░░░░░░░ and our communities up ░░░░░░░░ can take on those ░░░░░░░░ rooted problems and together ░░░░░░░░ we can overcome anything ░░░░░░░░ stands in our way.”