Happy Mother’s Day, Michelle

By Akilah Bolden-Monifa, May 10, 2009

On her own merits, she is an accomplished, three-dimensional modern black woman. Even with all the privileges of the White House, she still has to balance the conflict between work and family life. And by bringing her mother to the White House, she acknowledges that all families need support.

This Mother’s Day is the first time we’ve had a woman of African descent as the nation’s most famous mother.

I’m referring, of course, to Michelle Obama, who shatters stereotypes. An Ivy League graduate and successful attorney, she is as far from the “welfare queen” stereotype as you can imagine.
Neither does she fit other stereotypes of the overbearing black woman, or the “mammy” of all-too-many Hollywood depictions.

Nor does she fit the stereotype of the abandoned black woman, who has to do all the work because the black man in her life has left her.

On her own merits, she is an accomplished, three-dimensional modern black woman. Even with all the privileges of the White House, she still has to balance the conflict between work and family life. And by bringing her mother to the White House, she acknowledges that all families need support. At the same time, she properly preserves her daughters’ privacy while raising her family in the most public of houses.

Although Michelle Obama should not have the burden of representing all mothers, she can certainly help with the image of black mothers.

She is a role model for all women and mothers.

So Happy Mother’s Day, Michelle.

And on this day, let us move beyond stereotypes — and value women and mothers for who they are.

They all deserve it, today and every day.