Remarks by the First Lady at International Women of Courage Awards

Department of State
Washington, D.C.

11:14 A.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Good morning, everyone.  To say it is a pleasure to be here with all of you today would be an understatement.  This is truly an important opportunity, it is an uplifting opportunity, and I am happy to be a part of it every single year.

And I have to start by thanking Secretary Clinton not just for that very kind introduction, but she has been an outstanding -- should I say that again? -- an outstanding Secretary of State.  (Laughter and applause.)  And she has been an inspiration to women and girls around the world.  She is a role model for me in so many ways.  I don't think she realizes how what she has done has made what I am doing partially possible.  So with all the respect and admiration that I can give to her, I will be wherever she needs me to be, whenever she needs me to be there.  (Applause.)

I also want to join in recognizing our special guest, First Lady Mills, who is a dear friend.  We enjoyed our visit to Ghana.  (Applause.)  And she is going to have a productive stay here in Washington, so she's going to be busy.  Just take it easy.  (Laughter.)  And of course, Secretary Vanda Pignato, who is a dear friend as well.  We are honored to have you with us as well.  I also want to thank them for taking the time to be here today.  It means so much to us all for you to be here.

I have to thank Ambassador Melanne Verveer for her terrific work she is doing -- what she is doing for -- (applause) -- for Global Women’s Issues.  This event is top-notch, and it wouldn't happen if not for her.  We are so grateful. 

And of course, I want to recognize most of all the ten Women of Courage that we're honoring here today.  These women come from all different corners of the globe.  They have taken very different journeys to this moment.  But they are all here today because somewhere along the line, they decided they could no longer accept the world as it is.  And they committed themselves to fighting for the world as they know it should be.  They saw corruption, and they worked to expose it.  They saw oppression, and they worked to end it.  They saw violence, poverty, discrimination, and inequality -- and they decided to use their voices, and risk their lives, to do something about it.

And day after day, these women have stood up and said the things that no one else could say, or would say.  Year after year, they endured hardships that few of us could bear.

At the age of 22, Zin Mar Aung was imprisoned for 11 years simply for writing a letter demanding that the elected civilian government take power in Burma.  When she was freed, she went right back to work, fighting for the rights of women and ethnic minorities and political prisoners.

Shad Begum founded a women’s NGO in Pakistan, and she ran for district council.  When she won, she intended to use her position to improve health care and education.  But when the council met, she was forced to sit in a separate side room, behind a locked door.  The microphone that was supposed to allow her to participate never worked.  But undeterred, she decided to run for an even higher elected office, saying -- and this is her quote -- “Whatever it takes, I will make them hear me.” 

And then there is Jineth Bedoya Lima, an investigative journalist in Colombia.  Back in 2000, when she was writing about an arms struggling [sic] network, she was kidnapped, brutally assaulted for hours by those who wished to silence her.  But instead of backing down, she moved from her regional newspaper to a national one, and despite continued threats against her life, she kept reporting.  She became a spokeswoman for a global campaign against sexual violence.  And for 12 years, she’s fought to hold her attackers responsible for their crimes.  (Applause.)

She has even taken her case all the way to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, seeking justice not just for herself, but for women across her country. 

And that is why, despite the risks they face, despite the hardships they endure, these women carry on -- because they know that they are fighting not just for their own rights and freedoms, but for the rights and freedoms of so many others.  That is why, despite daunting physical obstacles, Safak Pavey didn’t just win a seat in parliament in her own country; she traveled to countries across the globe, winning support for the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  She lives her life by a simple motto -- these are her words: “Whatever you experience is an example to others.”  Whatever you experience is an example to others.

The same can be said of Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo.  Despite being one of just a few women in the Rio de Janeiro military police, she has risen through the ranks, commanding more than 100 male officers.  We love that.  (Laughter and applause.)  Working in one of the toughest communities in the city and even arresting a gang of criminals who kidnapped her.  Women of all ages have been inspired by her leadership, and of them she says -- again a quote -- “They see me as an example of the fact that any woman can work in any type of activity.  It’s just a question of wanting to do it.”

And that is why each year we invite young people to join us at this event.  It is so important because we want them to learn from and be inspired by the example of these women of courage. 

We invite them because we want them -- we want to say to them and to boys and girls across America that if, despite all the obstacles these women of courage face, if they are still running for office and running organizations and serving their communities and their countries, then surely you can find a way to follow your dreams.  Surely, you can find a way to give back to your community and to your country.  If these 10 women can endure death threats and horrifying violence and years behind bars to stand up for what they believe in, then surely our young people can find a way to stand up for what they believe in.  Surely, all of you can overcome the obstacles you face in your own life.

And I’m thinking particularly of Jineth Bedoya Lima and what she endured on that day 12 years ago.  As her attackers assaulted her, they said to her, “Pay attention.  We’re sending a message to the press in Colombia.”  Well, today, with every story she writes and with every public appearance she makes, Jineth is sending her own message that she will not back down, that she will not give up, and she will never, ever allow her voice to be silenced.

And it is the same message that all of these women are sending with every act of courage they commit -– the message that injustice will not stand, that inequality will not be tolerated, and that they will not stay silenced in the face of evil. 

And to all of those who are oppressed and abused and left out and left behind, they are saying:  I am standing with you.  I am fighting for you.  You are not alone.

And on this International Women’s Day, that is the very message I wish to send to these 10 women and others like them in every corner of the globe. 

On behalf of my husband and our country, I want you to know that you are never, ever alone.  (Applause.)  The United States of America stands with you.  And we are so incredibly proud of everything that you have achieved.  And we will continue to fight with you for the causes to which you have devoted your lives.

So thank you all so much.  Enjoy this day.  Congratulations.  God bless.  (Applause.)

Now, before I sit down, I have one important honor.  I get to introduce two more women of courage who have received the highest honor for their work –- our 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman.  Please, let’s welcome them to the stage.  (Applause.)

END               
11:25 A.M. EST

Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

American Jazz Museum
Kansas City, Missouri

1:30 P.M. CST

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, my goodness!  (Applause.)  Well, thank you all so much. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  You're beautiful! 

MRS. OBAMA:  Aw, you're so sweet!  (Laughter.)  It is truly a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you. 

But before I started today, I just had to say that on behalf of my husband and myself, I just want to say that our thoughts and our prayers are with those affected by the storms in this state and in several other parts of the state last week.  And I know that it’s been a very difficult time for many people in this part of the country -- and we’ll be keeping folks here in Missouri and elsewhere in our hearts and prayers as they begin to work on the recovery.  So I just wanted to start with that.  (Applause.)

But I have to also start by thanking Myra for that very kind introduction and for sharing her family’s story with all of us today.  It is because of stories like these that my husband worked so hard on health reform, and it’s because of people like Myra and all of you that we actually got it done.  So thank you.  We have a lot to be proud of.  A lot to be proud of.  (Applause.)  

I also want to recognize your Mayor, Mayor James, who is here today.  (Applause.)  He got to hang out with us hearing some blues.  As he said, he got to hear the President sing -- again.  (Laughter.)  But I want to thank him for all of his support, and for taking the time to join me here today.  And of course, I want to give a big shoutout to our co-hosts, all the people who helped to make this event a success -- Sharon Hoffman, Ursula -- thank you all for your outstanding work to make this event such a success.  Let's give them a round of applause.  (Applause.)

And finally, I have to thank all of you.  Thank you all for your support and for taking the time to be here today. 

And I know there’s a reason that you all are here.  And it's not just to see me, while I'm grateful -- I am grateful for those of you who came.  But I know that we're here because we stand at a fundamental crossroads for our country.  We're here because you all know that in less than a year from now -- and the time is ticking away -- we are going to make a choice that will impact our lives for decades to come.

And I know that you’re here because you know that choice won’t just affect all of us, it is going to affect our children, it's going to affect our grandchildren, and more importantly, it's going to affect the world that we leave behind for them long after we’re gone.

And truly, that is why I’m here as well.  That's why I'm going to be on the road, I'm going to be traveling around this country making sure that people understand what's at stake.

As First Lady, I have had the privilege of traveling all across this great country, meeting folks from all different backgrounds, all walks of life, and I get to hear what’s going on in their lives every day.  Every day, I hear about the challenges and the struggles that people are facing -- the bills they’re trying to pay, the businesses they’re trying to keep afloat.  I hear about how they’re taking that extra shift, how they're working that extra job, how they’re doing everything they can -- saving, sacrificing, never spending a dime on themselves because they desperately want something better for their kids.

And make no mistake about it, these struggles are not new.  For decades now, middle-class folks have been squeezed from all sides.  While the cost of things like gas and groceries, they've been rising, people’s paychecks just haven’t kept up.  So when this economic crisis hit, for far too many families the bottom just completely fell out for them.

Now, over the past three years, your President has worked very hard to dig us out of this mess.  (Applause.)  And we have made some magnificent and important progress.  We have had 23 straight months of private sector job growth -- (applause) -- and the unemployment rate is now the lowest it’s been in nearly three years.  (Applause.)  But we also know that we have a long way to go.  We still have work to do.

And your President has been working hard to rebuild this economy based on a vision that we all share -– the belief, as my husband says, that hard work should pay; that responsibility should be rewarded; and that everyone -- everyone in this country -- should get a fair shot, and do their fair share, and play by the same rules.  (Applause.)

The truth is, is that these are basic American values.  It's the foundation of this country.  They’re the values that so many of us were raised with, including myself.  I've shared my story with so many of you:  My father was a blue-collar city worker, worked for the city water filtration plant.  My family lived in a little-bitty apartment on the South Side of Chicago.  And neither of my parents went to college, but let me tell you what they did do -- they worked, and they saved, and they sacrificed everything, because they wanted something better for me and my brother.

And more than anything else, that’s what’s at stake -- that fundamental promise that no matter who you are or how you started out, if you work hard, you can build a decent life for yourselves and, yes, an even better life for your kids.

And on just about every issue -– from health care to education to the economy -– that is the choice we face in this election. 

For example, when you hear all that talk about tax cuts for middle-class families, you hear the President talking about the importance of unemployment insurance for folks out of work, that’s about whether people can heat their homes.  It's about whether people can put gas in their car so that they can even look for work.  It’s about whether folks can send their kids to college, maybe retire with a little dignity, just a little security.  And it’s about whether people will have more money in their pockets.  More money in their pockets means more money in the economy, which means more jobs.  See, that’s what’s at stake.  (Applause.)

And when it comes to jobs, I mean, just think back to when all those folks in Washington were telling Barack to let the auto industry go under, with more than 1 million jobs on the line.  But Barack had the backs of American workers.  And he put his faith in the American people.  And today, the auto industry is back on its feet -- (applause) -- and more importantly, people are back to work, back to work providing for their families.  That’s what’s at stake.  That’s the choice we face.

And think, for just a minute, about what this administration has done to stand up for the American consumer.  I’m talking about families getting hit with all those hidden credit card fees; talking about our students drowning in debt; our seniors losing their homes and their savings, because they were tricked into loans they couldn’t afford, probably couldn’t even understand.

And that’s why your President created a new consumer watchdog with just one simple mission -- and that is to protect folks from exactly these kinds of abuses.  (Applause.)  Because when you’ve worked and you’ve saved and you’ve followed the rules, you shouldn’t lose it all to someone just looking to make some easy money.  See, your President knows that’s not fair.  He says, that’s not right and we’re working hard to do something about it.  That’s what’s at stake.  (Applause.) 

And what about all that we have done together for small businesses?  I mean, these are the companies that create two-thirds of all new jobs each year.  That’s two-thirds of all new jobs.  I’m talking about the mom who opens up the drycleaner on the corner to help provide for her kids.  That’s who we’re talking about.  We’re talking about the family that runs that neighborhood diner that’s been in the family for generations.  That’s who we’re talking about.  Or the veteran who launches a startup just to pursue the American Dream he fought so hard for.  See, these are the folks who work themselves to the bone during the day, and then they head home at night, poring over those books trying to make the numbers add up. 

See, for these folks, the small business tax cuts that this administration has passed, that means the difference between these employers handing out pink slips or opening up their doors and hiring people.  (Alarm sounds.)  Oh, now we really got something now.  (Laughter.)  See, this is the truth talking.  (Laughter.)  You got alarms going off -- you know I’m speaking the truth.  (Applause.)  And it would be great to have a small business alarm company who could stop all that noise.  (Laughter and applause.)

But for many of these small businesses, this tax credit means whether they’re going to be able to stay open and keep jobs in place.  That’s the choice.  That’s what we’re talking about.  These issues are not abstract.

And how about the very first bill my husband signed into law -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to make sure that women get equal pay for equal work -- the very first bill he signed into law.  (Applause.)

Now, he did this because he knows what it means when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  He watched his own grandmother -- that's a woman with a high school education -- work her way up to become the vice president at a little community bank.  And she worked hard.  She was good at her job.  But like so many other women, she hit that glass ceiling and she watched men no more qualified than she was -- men she had actually trained -- be promoted up the ladder ahead of her. 

So believe me, for Barack, this is not abstract or hypothetical.  And he signed this bill because he knows that closing that pay gap can mean the difference between women losing $50, $100, $500 from each paycheck, or having that money in their pockets to buy gas and groceries and to put clothes on the backs of their children.  He did it because he knows that when nearly two-thirds of women are breadwinners or co-breadwinners, he knows that the key to a family’s success is women.  That’s what he knows.  (Applause.)  And he believes that in this country, here in America, there are no second-class citizens in our workplace.  That’s what’s at stake.  (Applause.)

And let’s talk just for a minute again about health care.  Last year, we made history together by finally passing health reform.  (Applause.)  But now there are folks talking about repealing this reform.  So today, we have to ask ourselves, are we going to let this happen, are we going to stand by and watch this happen?

AUDIENCE:  No!

MRS. OBAMA:  Since we passed this law, millions of our seniors have saved an average of more than $600 a year for their prescription drugs.  (Applause.)  So are we going to take those savings away?  Or will we make sure that our parents and our grandparents can afford to stay healthy into their golden years?  What are we going to do?  Are we going to go back to the days when insurance companies could deny our children coverage because of pre-existing conditions -- things like cancer, diabetes, even asthma?  Or will we stand up and say that in this country, no one should ever have to choose between going bankrupt or watching their child suffer because they can’t afford a doctor.  (Applause.)  

And when our children grow up and get older and they graduate from school, we know how hard it’s going to be for them to find jobs that provide insurance.  We know how hard that will be.  That’s why, as part of this reform, our kids can stay on their parent’s insurance until they’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)  And today, that is how 2.5 million of our young people are getting their coverage.  So are we going to take that insurance away from our children? 

AUDIENCE  NO!

MRS. OBAMA:  Or will we say that we don’t want our sons and our daughters going without health care when they’re just starting out, trying to build their families and build their careers.  Are we going to do that?

AUDIENCE  NO!

MRS. OBAMA:  But that’s the choice we face.  That’s the choice that we face.

And think, for a moment, about all that’s been done on education.  I mean, think about all those investments this President has made to raise standards and reform our public schools.  This is about improving the circumstances for millions of our children.  These are our kids, all of them.  Kids we know are sitting today in crumbling classrooms; kids with so much promise; kids who could be anything they wanted if we just gave them the chance.

And think about how my husband has been fighting so hard for the DREAM Act, so that talented, hardworking young people who were brought to this country through no fault of their own have a chance to earn their citizenship.  (Applause.)  This is about responsible young men and women who want to go to college, who want to defend our country, who want to contribute to our economy -- and it's time that we gave them a chance.

And think about how this President has tripled investments for job training at community colleges.  I mean, this is about hundreds of thousands of hardworking folks who are determined to get the skills they need for a better job and better wages.  These are folks who are doing everything.  They are doing everything we’ve asked of them.  They’re working a full-time job.  They’re taking care of their kids.  But they still make it to class every night, studying late because they desperately want something better for themselves and for their families.

And truly, make no mistake about it, these investments in our students and our workers will determine nothing less than the future of our economy.  It will determine whether we’re prepared to make the discoveries and to build the industries that will let us compete with any country anywhere in the world.  That’s what’s at stake. 

And let’s not forget about what it meant when my husband appointed those two brilliant Supreme Court justices -- (applause) -- and for the first time, our daughters and our sons watched three women take their seat on our nation’s highest courts.  (Applause.)  More importantly, let us not forget the impact their decisions will have on our lives for decades to come -– on our privacy and security, on whether we can speak freely, worship openly, and yes, love whomever we choose.  But that’s what’s at stake.  That’s the choice we’re facing.  (Applause.)

And finally, let’s not forget all this administration has done to keep our country safe and restore our standing in the world.  (Applause.)  And thanks to our brave men and women in uniform, we finally brought to justice the man behind the 9/11 attacks and so many other horrific acts of terror.  (Applause.)

Your President kept his promise and he ended the war in Iraq -- (applause) -- and brought our troops home for the holidays.  We’ve been working to give our veterans and their families the education, the employment and the benefits that they’ve earned.

AUDIENCE  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  And because my husband ended "don’t ask, don’t tell," our troops will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.)  That’s what’s at stake.  That’s what’s at stake.

And I could go on, but you all are standing up.  (Laughter.)  I don’t want anybody to pass out -- it’s always a little difficult when you’ve got to stand.

But make no mistake about it, whether it’s health care or the economy, whether it’s education or foreign policy, well, the choice we make will determine nothing less than who we are as a country.  But more importantly, who do we want to be?  What kind of country do we want to be?  Will we be a country where opportunity is limited to just the few at the top?  Or will we be a place where if you work hard, you can get ahead, no matter who you are or how you started out?  At some point we have to ask ourselves, who are we?

Will we let folks who have done everything right, but are maybe struggling just a little bit -- do we look at those folks and we tell them, “tough luck, you’re on your own”?  I mean, who are we?  Or will we honor that fundamental American belief that this country is strongest when all of us are better off?  (Applause.)

Will we continue all the change we’ve begun and the programs we’ve made and the progress that we’ve seen?  Or will we allow everything we fought so hard for to slip away?  Who are we?  But that’s the choice.  Those are the stakes.

And trust me, wherever I go, I just reassure people that your President knows this.  Barack knows these stakes all too well.  And he understands these issues because he’s lived them.  This is who he is.  He was raised by a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills.  And when she needed help, who stepped up?  His grandmother -- waking up early in the morning to catch that bus at the job at the bank.  And even though she was passed over again and again for promotions, she never complained.  She just kept moving forward, just kept showing up, doing her best.  It’s like so many people in our lives, right?

So believe me, Barack knows what it means when a family struggles.  And he certainly knows what it means when someone doesn’t have a chance to fulfill their potential.  These are the experiences that have made him the man, but more importantly, the President that he is today.  And we’re blessed to have him.  (Applause.)

And that’s what I see when -- and hear from him when he returns home from a day of traveling or working in the Oval Office, and he tells me about all the people that he’s met.  He’s always moved by the stories.  That’s what I see in those quiet moments, long after the girls have gone to bed and he’s up late at night reading those briefings, the stacks of briefings and the thousands of letters that he gets that people send him.  The letter from the woman dying of cancer whose insurance company won’t cover her care.  The letter from the father still struggling to pay the bills for his family.  The letters from far too many young people with so much promise but too little opportunity.

And I hear the passion and determination in his voice.  And he says, “Michelle, you won’t believe what people are going through."  He says, “This isn’t right.  We’ve got to do more.  We’ve got to fix this.”

I mean, the thing I share with everyone is that the beauty of your President is that when it comes to the people he meets and the stories he’s told, Barack has a memory like a steel trap.  (Laughter.)  Gets a little annoying at times.  (Laughter.)  Especially if you live with him.  He’s wondering, “Why don’t you remember X from this city?  He said hello.  Don’t you remember him?”  (Laughter.)  But he might not remember your name, but if he’s had a few minutes and a decent conversation with you, he will never forget your story.  It becomes imprinted in his heart.  See, and that is what he carries around with him -- it’s our collection of struggles and hopes, and it’s our dreams.  And that is where Barack gets his passion.  That’s where he gets his toughness and his fight.

And that’s why, even in some of the hardest moments, when it seems like all is lost, Barack Obama never loses sight of the end goal.  He never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise.  It’s just right here.  He just keeps moving forward, because he has a vision for this country, and it’s a vision that we all share.  We do.  We do.  That I know -- regardless of background, even party.  It’s a vision that we all -- deep down inside, we share. 

And I’ve said this before, but I will say it again:  He cannot do it alone.  He can’t do it alone.  (Applause.)  That was never the promise.  He needs your help.  He does.  He needs you to do what you’ve been doing -- make those calls, register those voters.  He needs you to take all those “I’m In” cards that you get, sign it, get your neighbors to sign it, get your church members to sign it.  Get everybody you know to sign those cards and convince them to join in in just giving a little part of their lives each week to this campaign. 

Because we all know that this is not about one extraordinary man -– although I love my husband.  I think he’s terrific.  I’m a little biased.  (Applause.)  I will admit not everyone agrees.  (Laughter.)  That’s all right.  He’s pretty awesome.  (Laughter.)  But it was never about one man.  This election was never about one man.  It’s really about all of us
-- all of us coming together for the values we believe in and the country that we want to be.

And I’m not going to kid you all, this journey, it’s going to be long.  It’s going to be hard.  And there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way.  But the truth is, truly, that’s how change always happens in this country -- always does.  The reality is, is that change is slow.  Real change never happens all at once.

But if we keep showing up, and if we keep fighting the good fight, if we keep doing what we know is right, then eventually we will get there.  We always do.  We always do.  Maybe not in our lifetimes, but maybe in our children’s lifetimes, maybe in our grandchildren’s lifetimes.  (Applause.)  Because in the end, that’s what this is all about.  This is not about us.  In the end, we are fighting these battles for them.  We’re fighting for the world we want for our sons and daughters, and our grandsons and granddaughters.  This is about them.  It’s not about us. 

And believe me, I’m in this fight not as a mother who wants to leave a legacy for my kids.  I’m in this as a citizen who knows what we can do together to make this country the greatest it can be.  (Applause.)  Because the truth is Malia and Sasha will be fine.  They’re blessed, and I remind them of that every day -- "Stop complaining, you are blessed."  (Laughter.)  My girls and so many of the children in this room, the children you know, they’re going to be okay.  They will have opportunities to live their lives and do great things.  But I think the last few years have shown us the truth of what Barack has always said, that if any child in this country is left behind, then that matters to us, even if he is not our son, even if she is not our daughter.  These are our children.  All of them are our children.  (Applause.)

If any family in this country struggles, then we cannot be fully content with our own family’s good fortune.  Because, in the end, we cannot separate our individual stories from the broader American story.  Like it or not, we are all in this together.  Because we know that in this country, we rise and we fall together.  And that’s a good thing.  And we know that if we make the right choices, if we have the right priorities, we can ensure that everyone -- everyone -- gets a fair shake and everyone gets a chance to get ahead.  That’s what’s at stake.  Those are the choices.

(Cell phone rings.)  So in the end, with all that good jazz music playing -- (laughter) -- it is time for us to get moving.  It’s time for us to get to work.  This isn’t going to happen on its own.  It’s going to happen because people want that vision.  It’s going to happen because people make the decision to get up and start working and making it happen.  We did it before.  We can do it again.  But we need to know that you will be there for us.  (Applause.)

So I have one question.  One question:  Are you in?  Are you in?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  I got to hear this.  I got to know:  Are you in?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Are you ready to make this happen?  (Applause.)  Because I am in.  I am so very in.  I know the stakes, and I know the vision that we want for our children.  And we can make this happen.  We can do it together.

Thank you all for everything you've done.  We'll work hard together.  Thank you all so much.  (Applause.)

END
2:00 P.M. CST

Remarks by the First Lady at a Democratic National Convention Committee Event

Ballantyne Hotel
Charlotte, North Carolina

5:42 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, my goodness.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)  You all, rest yourselves.  Thank you.  Thank you so much.  It is truly just a pleasure and a joy and an honor to be here with all of you in the Queen City.

I want to start by thanking Mayor Foxx for that very kind introduction.  Thank you for sharing your story.  It was wonderful to meet your mom and your grandma, too, and that history is very profound and it's something that we should all stay focused on.  That's why Charlotte is so special.  It's that community.  It's that history.  But thank you for your leadership and thank you for being here today.

I also want to thank Governor Perdue, who's here.  How are you?  (Applause.)  I also have to thank my basketball buddy today, Senator Kay Hagan -- we were hanging out at the CIAA today.  (Applause.)  We didn't actually shoot hoops, but we cheered some little people on and it was a lot of fun.  We also have Congressmen Mel Watt, and Larry Kissell, and G.K. Butterfield, who are here somewhere -- maybe they didn't -- there they are.  (Applause.)  Thank you, guys.  Thank you so much.  You all will be sick of me before September.  We'll be seeing a lot of each other.  (Laughter.) 

And I also want to thank and recognize host committee co-chair Jim Rogers.  (Applause.)  He was telling me that he saw the President last night, in New York, and he told -- the President told you to take care of me.  So when I get -- I told him when I got home safely I'd tell him that it was all because of you, Jim.  (Laughter.)  But thank you so much for your work.  This is a wonderful event and I'm glad I could be here.

And of course, I want to give a special hello to dear friends of ours who have just been so amazing throughout this wonderful journey -- the legendary James Taylor, his wife Kim and their family.  I want to thank them for performing tonight.  (Applause.)  And they have their two fabulous sons here who I just met.  They're terrific -- handsome and tall, too.  I like that in you.  And they promised me they would be fluent in French in a month.  (Laughter.)  Setting the bar high; putting you on the spot.  But thank you, thank you.  You all are terrific.  I know everybody enjoyed the performance and they will -- those who will be joining us later.

And finally, I want to thank all of you.  Thank you for being here tonight.  Thank you for your commitment to this city and to this state.  And most of all, thank you for supporting the convention that we’ll be holding here in September.

And I don’t know about you, but for me, it is hard to believe that 2012 is here already and the convention is just six months away, because it seems like it was just yesterday when Barack and I were beginning this journey. 

And I have to say, I have to be honest with you, that when Barack first started talking about running for President, I was a little hesitant about the idea.  Malia and Sasha were very young then.  They were 10 and seven -- no, it was even -- they were even younger than that.  They were babies.  And I was worried about the toll that the process would take on our family.  And I’m sure, like a lot of folks, I still had some cynicism about politics.  So to say that it took some convincing on Barack’s part is a bit of an understatement.  And even as I began to travel around the country, I was still a little uneasy about the whole “President thing” -- that's what Malia called it throughout.  It was like, "Dad still doing that President thing?"  (Laughter.) 

But something happened during those first few months on the campaign trail that changed me.  I realized right from the beginning that all this wasn’t just about handshakes and photo ops and stump speeches.  It was really about those one-on-one conversations that you get to have with your fellow Americans in living rooms and on back porches, where you can really get to know people.  And that's something that I hadn’t expected.

And as I traveled the country, I would have the privilege of hearing about what was going on in people’s lives, hearing about their hopes and their dreams, their worries, their struggles.  Folks would tell me about the businesses that they were trying to keep afloat; about the homes that they loved but could no longer afford; about the child in their life that was so smart, who could be anything she wanted, if she could just get to college, if they could just afford that tuition.

And truly, these stories moved me in a way that was so unexpected.  And more than anything else, these stories were familiar to me.  They reminded me of my own family’s stories.   They reminded me of Barack’s family’s stories.

And the folks I met weren’t content to just talk about the challenges that they were facing.  They wanted to act.  They wanted to get involved.  They wanted to do their part.  They wanted to be a critical part of this democratic process.  And many of them were doing it for the very first time.  Some for the first time in years, some for the first time ever. 

And that’s why I’m so proud to be here today.  Because that spirit of engagement, that belief that everyone has a role to play -- that is what’s truly driving this convention.  For instance, I know the convention team has been reaching out to people online, asking folks to share their ideas about how we can make this whole process most open and accessible for people.  I know that there are plans to engage as many as 10,000 volunteers, many of them right from the Charlotte community.  And like Mayor Foxx said, the funding for all of these efforts comes only through the support of people like all of you.  So there’s a lot happening to make sure that everyone feels welcomed and included here in Charlotte this September. 

And luckily all of you here in Charlotte have shown again and again that you know how to get people engaged.  I know that you’re already making long-term plans to use this convention as a way to build a stronger city, and that’s a good thing.  You’re centering those plans on sustainability, on economic inclusion, and two issues dear to my heart:  youth engagement and healthy families.  You’re leading civic efforts to strengthen your schools and provide affordable housing.  You’re a national leader in charitable giving and workplace donations. 

And of course, you all know a thing or two about welcoming folks to this city and this state, and that is what’s going to be the most important thing.  Because my family and I, we have experienced this firsthand.  It isn’t an accident that we’re here in this state.  I mean, over the past five years, we have spent a lot of time here in North Carolina -- from the Atlantic coast to the research triangle to the smoky mountains and everywhere else in between.  And I’ll tell you, the President loves it here.  Loves it here.  (Applause.)  And I do, too.  In fact, we chose to spend a family vacation in Asheville in 2010 and he’s still talking about that.

I have to tell you, every time we visit, from the minute we first set foot in this state, you all make us feel right at home.  And that’s true regardless of party.  This is a welcoming state in so many ways.  You all truly embody the idea of southern hospitality to the core.  You’ve opened your homes to us.  You have been so kind to our girls, which means so much to a mom.  And everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve met so many bighearted folks, who are eager to help others and give back to their communities -- and to their country.  And that’s one of the many things that makes this city and this state -- and this country -- so great, and we can’t lose sight of that.

And that was never more clear to me than back in March of 2009, when I took my first -- very first trip outside of Washington, D.C., as First Lady.  And where did I come?  I chose to come here, to North Carolina, to visit with military families at Fort Bragg.  And I will never forget that it was a wonderful day.  I met with troops, I met with military spouses, some of the cutest kids, the smartest kids you’ll ever want to meet.

And let me tell you, these folks are incredible.  I mean, this is your state, your community; I know you’ve encountered some of these awesome men and women.  These military families -- they’re spouses who run their households, and raise their kids, and juggle full-time jobs all alone through multiple deployments.  They are wounded warriors who’ve undergone surgery after surgery, enduring pain that most of us couldn’t even imagine.  But they still tell you they’re not just going to walk again, but they’re going to run, and they’re going to run marathons.  They are brave men and women from every background and every walk of life, who signed up to serve their country in a time of war.

They and their families are making all kinds of sacrifices every day, and they’re doing it without complaint, and without ever asking for anything in return.  And they are the very best this country has to offer.  Every day, they make us so proud.  Every day, they’re doing their part -- they’re fighting for everything we hold dear, everything that makes us who we are as Americans.

And in the end, when I think about this convention, that’s what this is about, this convention.  It’s a chance for us to connect with each other around our shared values.  It’s a chance to get more people involved in our democracy.  And it’s a chance to write another chapter in the beautiful story that is America -– the story of folks who come together, year after year, each of us doing our part to perfect our union.

So I’m looking forward to this.  It’s going to be good.  It’s going to be fun.  And we are glad we are doing it here.

So once again, I want thank you all -- thank you all for making this all possible.  Thank you for your support of Charlotte in 2012.  Thank you for welcoming us to this great American city.  We are so excited to be coming back here, and we can’t wait to see you all again in September.  So don’t get sick of us.  (Laughter.)

Thank you so much.  (Applause.) 

END
5:56 P.M. EST