If you have not watched former First Lady Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention, you owe it to yourself to watch what CNN’s Anderson Cooper called the most powerful political speech he’s ever heard. It is an extraordinary and necessary message for these times. She reveled in the newfound excitement and hope engendered by the candidacies of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. She contrasted it to the doom and gloom so many have experienced in the last decades as the nation’s politics degraded into constant demonization and polarization, led by the chief demonizer and prevaricator Donald Trump and his MAGA followers. She says hope is making a comeback.
She glorified motherhood and the American spirit while paying tribute to her recently deceased mother, Marian Robinson, whom she extolled as the woman who instilled in her the values and belief in self that removed all limits to success, who showed her the power of her voice. In paying tribute to her mom, she reminded her audience in Chicago’s United Center and millions more watching and listening through media not to squander our elders’ sacrifices to give us better futures. She spoke of the promise of this country. She told her audience not to complain about our circumstances but to find the wherewithal to “do something” that became a call and response with the conventioneers. It was a moment of beauty.
I have always admired Michelle Obama’s ability to navigate the often treacherous terrain of cutthroat politics. Her motto is: when they go low, we go high. I must admit that I have questioned that strategy. As a preacher’s kid, I was taught that turning the other cheek is better than seeking revenge, but I didn’t think that was a good political strategy. I believed that you had to fight back and that anything else was a show of weakness. Michelle Obama showed what going high means last night. It doesn’t mean you should not criticize your attacker; you should set your sights high, above and beyond the enmity. You need not react. You have response ability.
Michelle Obama is often described as a reluctant warrior who shies away from political combat. As a mother, I imagine she is concerned about her image to her daughters and the many young people who see her as a role model. She was never afraid. She chose to make her contributions to society often away from publicity’s bright lights. Yet people who knew her spoke of her in glowing terms. Many believed she would be the Democrats’ best candidate for president. She stepped out of the shadows last night in spectacular fashion, a testament to her resilience and unwavering commitment.
Her message, directed to Republicans, Independents, and Democrats, reminded us that no one has a monopoly on determining what it means to be an American. The speech was not just phenomenal; it was a call to action. Several phrases struck home. She said most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward or benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. In an obvious dig at Donald Trump, she said if we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third, or fourth chance. If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others. And we don’t get to change the rules, so we always win. Her words empowered us to take charge of our destinies.
She warned Democrats not to become complacent. Although things have been going well since Joe Biden passed the baton to Kamala Harris, she cautioned that the attacks will not cease. What seems to be a flawless campaign thus far will encounter challenges. Harris and Walz are human, and they will make mistakes. She stressed that Democrats are facing an uphill and must not be their own worst enemies. Democrats cannot afford handwringing when something goes wrong or adopt a Goldilocks complex that everything must be just right. Don’t wait for someone in the campaign to reach out to you for your support. She said there is no time for that kind of foolishness. It is time for everyone to get their heads and hearts into the game and do something. It’s not just what she said but how she said it. I attributed some of Barack Obama’s oratory prowess to his days at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ, where he watched pastor emeritus Jeremiah Wright preach Sunday after Sunday. Dr. Wright is one of America’s great preachers. I learned much about oratory excellence from him. I am sure the Obamas did not agree with everything he said, but they were taking notes—if only mentally—about how he was saying it. I have procrastinated on reading Michelle Obama’s book Becoming. I purchased it today.