March 2, 2011 | 1:09 | Public Domain
Go behind the scenes on Dr. Seuss' birthday at the Library of Congress with First lady Michelle Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan as they prepare to read to students highlighting March 2nd as Read Across America Day.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
3:02 P.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, Melody. Thank you so much for that kind introduction, but more importantly thank you for all of your outstanding work. We love you so much. You’re working so hard for this administration, for the East Wing, for the entire White House, for the country. She is amazing.
I also want to thank Secretary Duncan as well as Secretary Vilsack for their leadership and their passionate commitment to the health and well being of our young people. They have been tremendous partners to me on these efforts. We would not be where we are today without their leadership.
And I also want to thank Becke Bounds for joining us on the call today and for the difference that she’s making for so many young people down in Mississippi where we got a chance to visit a few months ago.
And finally, I want to thank all of you on this call –- education leaders from all across the country –- for everything that you’ve done to make this first year of “Let’s Move” such a tremendous success.
More than just about anyone else, all of you on this call know what’s at stake here. You know the impact that nutrition and exercise have on our kids’ academic performance. You know from firsthand experience that our kids need time to run around and play before they can settle down and concentrate. You know that they need something other than chips and candy before they can focus on math and reading.
And you know that the nutrition education that you provide in your schools is often the only guidance they get on making healthy decisions about what they eat.
The reality is that our schools are on the frontlines of our efforts to fight childhood obesity. And every day, with the decisions that you all make, you’re shaping our children’s habits and preferences, and affecting the choices they’ll make for the rest of their lives.
That’s why many of you have been leading by example. So many of you are revamping your schools’ physical education curricula. You’ve been raising standards for the food that you serve in your lunchrooms. You’re partnering with community groups that care about our kids. You’re expanding best practices throughout your school systems.
And I know that in these times that all this isn’t easy, especially given the budget challenges that many of us are -- that you all are facing, shrinking budgets and limited resources. And I know that right now a lot of school districts are struggling just to provide the basics.
And that's why one of our missions of "Let's Move" is to do everything that we can to give folks like all of you the support you need to do your jobs.
And that starts by helping more schools participate in the HealthierUS Schools Challenge. That’s one of the main reasons we wanted to host this call today, get you all together, because we want to highlight the tools. We want to highlight the technical assistance that's available to leaders like all of you who want to get your schools involved in this program.
As you all know, this challenge is a great way for schools to create healthier environments for kids. It sets concrete goals for more nutritious school food. It creates goals for regular physical activity and for sound nutrition education to help kids make better choices. Schools that complete this challenge can earn monetary rewards. Let me repeat that: Schools that complete this challenge can earn monetary rewards. And we’ll also be inviting representatives from every award-winning school to a very special reception at the White House.
And right now, we’re working to double the number of schools in the HealthierUS Schools Challenge. And with your help -- and we can’t do this without you -- I am hoping that we won’t just meet this goal, but that we will exceed it. That's right. We’re trying to exceed the goal of doubling the number of US Healthier Schools, because ultimately, we want every school in this country to be a HealthierUS School. We want every child in the country to have what they need to learn and to grow and to achieve their dreams. And that's why we work with the nation’s largest school food providers, and they’ve committed to providing better foods in the schools -- more fruits and vegetables and whole grains in their meals, and less sugar, fat and salt.
We’ve also started Chefs Move to Schools, where we’re bringing local chefs into schools to help create healthier menus and to support all of your nutrition education efforts. And through Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, that’s another effort where we’re helping to bring more fresh fruits and vegetables into those lunchrooms through salad bars.
We’re working to promote the President’s Active Lifestyle Award, which recognizes kids who exercise for 60 minutes a day, five days a week for six consecutive weeks. This is a great tool to challenge kids, to get them engaged, to get them moving. Kids always respond to an award. And you can also learn more about the President’s Lifestyle Award by going to presidentschallenge.org. Let me repeat that again. You can learn more about the President’s Active Lifestyle Award by going to presidentschallenge.org.
And finally, we’ve worked very hard -- we’re very proud that we worked with Congress to pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. And we will continue to find other ways to support schools as this law is implemented. But we’re very excited that Congress has moved on this issue. It’s going to provide much needed help and support to the schools.
But as far as we’ve come, you all know we still have a long way to go. And that’s where all of you come in. We need more leaders like you to be involved in these programs. The truth is that you all are some of the most important decision-makers in our kids’ lives. And we need more of your ideas, quite frankly. We need your energy. We need your hard work. We need you to keep us focused and moving in the right direction, because we’re not going to stop working on this issue -- I know I’m not -- until we’ve solved this problem of childhood obesity once and for all. And this is something that we can do. This is an issue that we can solve working together. So we’re not going to stop until we know that our schools and our educators have everything they need to give our kids the healthy futures they deserve.
So I am looking forward to working with more of your schools. I’m hoping that through this call this will energize you all to go back into your district to work with the schools that you all have connections with and to get some of the focus on this technical support. We want to get these numbers up. We want to see all these schools joining us here in Washington to celebrate our increased numbers.
So I want to thank you all in advance for the work that you’re going to do. I want to thank you for the work that you’ve done to get us to this point. I visited so many schools around the country, and it is always a joy to see the light in children’s eyes when they’re eating right and they’re exercising. There is truly a difference in the energy in schools that are stepping up to this challenge. And it’s thanks to so many of you that we’re seeing more of these schools.
So, with that, I will stop and we will continue this conversation. But, again, thank you for all your efforts.
END
3:11 P.M. EST
March 02, 2011 | 11:05 | Public Domain
First Lady Michelle Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan read the Dr. Seuss classic "Green Eggs and Ham" to students at the Library of Congress on Read Across America Day.
Continuing a favorite White House tradition, the President and First Lady welcomed renowned musical artists to the White House to celebrate music that’s at the heart of the American story. As Black History Month drew to a close, Thursday’s performance fittingly paid tribute to the legendary sound of Motown. Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder took the stage alongside those influenced by generations of Motown musicians.
Join John Legend for a rare glimpse behind the scenes with performers including Jamie Foxx, Sheryl Crow, Nick Jonas, Seal, Gloriana, Jordin Sparks and more in the green room during rehearsal and backstage for the performance:
Check back soon for full performances on WhiteHouse.gov. In Performance at The White House: The Motown Sound premieres Tuesday, March 1st at 8 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide. (Check local listings.)
Earlier today, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden spoke to the meeting of the National Governors' Association here at the White House about an issue important to both: military families. Over the past two years, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden have traveled around the country and around the world, visiting with service members and their families, hearing their stories firsthand. Today, they called on America's Governors and all Americans to join their effort.
"So we’re going to need your help," said First Lady Michelle Obama, "We’re going to need your support and encouragement to make this a reality. We’re very excited about this initiative because we think that this will not only help our troops and their families, but it will help us as a nation link together and be even stronger."
This morning the President & Vice President addressed America's Governors, following the First Lady and Dr. Biden. They touched on topics ranging from rebuilding America's infrastructure to the changes in the health care law that the President endorsed, which would move the date up to 2014 when states could establish their own alternate systems outside the Affordable Care Act provided they can achieve the same results. The President laid out his fundamental approach this way:
You see, part of the genius of our Founders was the establishment of a federal system in which each of our states serves as a laboratory for our democracy. Through this process, some of the best state ideas became some of America’s best ideas. So whether it’s through Race to the Top, or improving the Affordable Care Act, or reforming the way that we approach social programs by ensuring that spending is tied to success, our approach has been to give you the flexibility that you need to find your own innovative ways forward.
February 28, 2011 | 19:55 | Public Domain
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden welcome the Nation’s governors to the White House and talk about their campaign to support America’s military families.
10:54 A.M. EST
DR. BIDEN: Good morning, and thanks to all of you for inviting us here today. It was a great time last night, wasn’t it? We had a great day --
MRS. OBAMA: Whooo! (Laughter and applause.)
DR. BIDEN: So Michelle and I will be joining your spouses shortly for lunch.
But we wanted to speak to you today about something that’s very important to all of us: military families.
Over the past two years, we have had the privilege of traveling around the country and around the world, visiting with service members and their families, and hearing their stories firsthand. Many of the stories are about the pride these families have in serving our country. But there are also challenges.
We bring the concerns back to the White House, and the President and the Vice President and the Cabinet have responded by committing attention and resources to support our military families.
We know that each of you shares our commitment by supporting our troops and their families. Many of you have active bases in your states, and all of you have Guard and Reserve families.
We know well the tremendous service they provide to our country. Today, Michelle and I want to talk to you about our efforts to increase awareness of the unique experiences of military families.
We want to take the opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support and ask for your feedback about the needs and concerns of military families in your states.
Many of you know that my son was deployed to Iraq as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard. He is back now, but I will always remember the mixture of pride and concern that I felt throughout his deployment.
I know I don’t have to tell any of you just how critical the National Guard is to our national security. Tens of thousands of our brave citizen soldiers are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other regions –- and taken together, they make up nearly one half of our nation’s military strength.
They also respond to national disasters, humanitarian crises –- from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina, to areas in need around the world -- they answer the call under your leadership.
As a military mom, I know what a difference it makes when individuals or groups reach out to show support to service members and their families.
I’ve seen through my work with small grassroots organization at home called Delaware Boots on the Ground that community groups can make a huge difference.
Where a military family in Delaware has a need, we try to meet it, whether it’s physical labor or repairs around the house, a fun night out for the kids, or other simple ways individuals, businesses and groups can support a family through a deployment.
There are small and effective groups like this all over the country -- like one in Minnesota that collects top-brand hockey equipment for military children, or the barbecue lovers in Ohio that travel the state providing meals for military family picnics, deployment and welcome-home ceremonies, or the accountants across the country that dedicate their talents every spring to help with tax returns.
As an educator, I love hearing about the ways schools and teachers support military children during the deployment of a parent.
Just a few weeks ago, an amazing teacher near Ft. Stewart in Georgia told me how she sets up parent-teacher conferences over the Internet, so she can update deployed parents on their children’s progress in the classroom. Many of the military children in that school keep laminated pictures of their deployed parent on their desk.
There are so many great and inspiring stories which demonstrate that every American can take their time, their expertise and their passion and use it to support and thank a military family.
Michelle and I have talked a lot about the ways that all Americans can support our troops and thank these men and women for their service.
And now, we are trying to encourage all Americans to join us in this effort.
As long as we have the privilege and the honor of serving in our roles, the First Lady and I will do whatever we can to support those who protect us -- and we look forward to working with you and your spouses on these ongoing efforts.
And now it is my pleasure to introduce my partner, my friend, your First Lady, Michelle Obama. (Applause.)
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you. Thanks so much, Jill. And again, welcome. I hope you all had a lovely evening last night. Got your groove on. (Laughter.) But we had a great time, so I hope you’re getting a lot of work done today.
I know that you have a busy day ahead, and Jill and I are grateful to have a chance to talk to you today about our latest endeavor. But we wanted to take a few minutes to talk with you about an issue that is important to both of us, as Jill said, and that’s mobilizing our country to support our military families.
As you know, all our men and women in uniform represent only 1 percent of the population, 1 percent of our country taking care of the needs of all of us. And they shoulder the entire responsibility of defending our country. They’re enduring tour after tour of duty, and they’re missing birthdays and holidays and all those daily moments with the people they love the most.
And these men and women aren’t the only ones who sacrifice for our country. I said this when I appeared on Oprah, is that it’s very easy for us to recognize the men and women in uniform because they’re in uniform, but there are people who we don’t see who aren’t in uniform. And the truth is those are the people who take care of them, and they’re their families. Their families serve, too.
And over the last two years, Jill and I have spent a lot of time meeting with spouses who play the role of both parents for months on end. If you think about the challenges your families face as you serve, which is how I came to this issue thinking about the challenges I face and then looking at a military spouse who is shouldering the exact same burden -- juggling play dates and carpools and doing their best to hide their own fears while answering questions from their kids about when mom or dad is coming home, enduring the grief and the heartbreak if they don’t return.
So the thing I had to think about is if I’m feeling sorry for myself in my role with all that I’m juggling, just imagine if I were in their position, with the pressures and the challenges and the uncertainty. But they do it proudly. And that’s the thing that we’ve learned. That’s been one of the benefits of traveling around the country. These families do not want our pity. They do not want our sympathy. They serve like their service members with pride, and they do it without complaint and they do it without regret. And every day, these men and women and these children and these parents and these aunts and uncles, they show us what words like “service” and “strength” and “sacrifice” -- they show us what those words really look like.
So I think we can all agree, all of us, regardless of what our political positions may be, we can all agree that with everything these families do to take care of this country and all of us, America, we have an obligation to take care of them. And that’s why last year my husband ordered a sweeping review of the entire federal government to see what the government is doing for these families and what the government could be doing better for these families.
And we gathered nearly 50 recommendations from Cabinet agencies for how we can improve services for our military families. That includes everything from simplifying financial aid applications for these families, to increasing career opportunities for these spouses, to expanding childcare options for the children of service members.
And all of this is a very good start. These are all very important steps, because our view is that we have to look internally before we can look outside. But we know that the needs of our military families won’t be met simply by improving the way things work here in Washington.
So much of what these folks need are things that government can’t provide. They need employers who are willing to hire them, even if they’re moving all across the country. They need employers who understand the unique challenges that military spouses face. They need schools that recognize the unique needs of kids who are facing multiple deployments. They need to know those kids are in their classrooms.
They need communities that show gratitude for the sacrifices they’re making -- not just with words, but with deeds. And not just once in a while, not just on Veterans Day or Memorial Day, but these communities need to rally around these families every single day.
And that’s why next month, Jill and I are going to be launching a campaign to rally this country around to support not just our troops, but their families. And we’re focusing on four main areas: employment, education, wellness and public awareness.
And just to give you a sense of what we hope to do, I mean, if you look at what we’ve accomplished with “Let’s Move” just in one short year, our goal is to take that same model and make the conversation about our military families at the top of mind of every single one of us in this country.
We’re going to be working with businesses and nonprofit organizations to improve career opportunities for veterans and military spouses. There are a lot of wonderful models, companies that are already doing great things. We want to raise up those models and encourage other businesses to find a way to do the same.
We’re working with education groups to make schools more accommodating for military kids, and we’re going to be encouraging all Americans to simply step up as individuals, which the folks in this country are more than willing to do. We care about our troops. Oftentimes we just don’t know what to do. And our hope is that through this public awareness campaign, we can funnel that energy, we can galvanize it, and we can direct it in a way that’s going to be most helpful for our military families.
And that might mean something as simple as mowing the lawn for a family in your community or shoveling the snow. When you talk to military families, these are the small things that make them feel appreciated without making them feel helpless. Or offering military family discounts at local businesses, offering professional services -- whether someone is a lawyer or an accountant or a mechanic. Whatever people do, that’s what we’re asking Americans -- find the thing that you do best and find a way to make that service something of importance and value to our military families.
However folks choose to help, the idea here is very simple: It’s about doing everything we can to keep military families in our hearts and on our minds.
And this isn’t just about doing it in a time of war because once the war is over -- and hopefully that will happen -- the battles of military families and our troops continue. The residual effects of deployments go on and on for a lifetime. So this isn’t just a campaign for today. This is a campaign for every day, all day. This is going to outlive me and Jill and Joe and Barack. This is something that should be a part of what we do here in America.
And Jill -- as she said, that this is especially important when we talk about our National Guard servicemen and women who you all have special responsibility for right in your own states so you know their needs, you know their contributions.
National Guard families, they face the same struggles as any other military family. The difference is, is that these families often don’t live on bases or in communities with those built-in resources and support networks. They are our neighbors. We don’t even see them. We don’t even know the challenges they face. And oftentimes they’re living in communities where no one can relate to their experiences at all. So it takes a special effort to reach out to these individuals and their families. And that’s why we want to work with all of you -- the governors of our states and with people and organizations within your states -- to help us find ways to better support military families, to keep raising awareness and making these families an important part of all of our common agenda.
So we’re here because we want to hear from you. If you have outstanding ideas -- shoot, if you have good ideas -- (laughter) -- or if there are groups in your states that you know are making a difference, we’re asking you to tell us about these. Part of what Jill and I are going to continue to do is to travel the country and to use our platform, our ability to attract a little attention, and to shine a light on your states and the things that you do in an effort to provide these an example for the rest of the country for what they can do.
So we want to hear those ideas. We want to hear from your staffs. We want to put this information on serve.gov and find ways to better connect people looking for volunteer opportunities, looking for good ideas, finding a way for them to connect with you in your states.
Because in the end, this is something that I think we can all agree on, no matter where we come from, no matter what we might think about any other issue. We all know that this issue -- this is not a Democrat issue, this is not a Republican issue. This is an American issue. And more importantly, this is an American obligation. It truly is.
It’s about showing our gratitude to that very small group of Americans who make such a tremendous contribution and sacrifice to this country. And it’s about serving the people who sacrifice so much to serve us.
One thing my husband says is that when he talks to troops and he goes out to wherever they’re stationed, that they don’t talk about themselves. Never do they ask for anything for themselves. They are our soldiers, they’re focused, but they always worry about what’s going on back at home. That’s what keeps them not being able to focus on their mission -- not knowing that their wife, their children are being cared for; when they come back that they’ll be secure. Those are the issues that our soldiers struggle with when they’re out on the battlefield.
So I know that this is something that we can do together. And Jill and I, we didn’t come to this issue knowing that we were both passionate about this. We were blessed to be put together and be able to join forces behind this one issue. And we want the entire nation to feel like this is an obligation that we all can work on together.
So we’re going to need your help. We’re going to need your support and encouragement to make this a reality. We’re very excited about this initiative because we think that this will not only help our troops and their families, but it will help us as a nation link together and be even stronger.
So we’re excited. We’re going to gear up. We’re going to be working hard. We’re going to on the road. We’re going to make this fun and exciting. We’re going to pull in businesses and entertainment and sports, and we’re going to pull in all sectors to get behind this effort. And I know that people are more than ready to step up. So if there is any way that you can helpful to us, if there are any suggestions that you can have for how we structure and talk about this issue so that it continues to be a bipartisan issue, we will gladly take those recommendations. But I am looking for your leadership to make this happen, to make this a true success. And if we do this we will have some grateful families behind us. They’ve just been grateful to hear that this is a part of the national conversation. They don’t even want much. So I think because of that we can succeed.
So I want to thank you all for giving Jill and I your time. I know your time is limited. Things are tough in your states back home. But I think even in this economy there are so many things we can do to keep this agenda in the forefront of all of our minds.
So thank you all in advance, and I look forward to visiting your states. So you all take care and good luck. (Applause.)
END
11:16 A.M. EST
Editor's note: This post is part of the Celebrating Black History Month series, which highlights the work of African Americans from across the Administration who are contributing to the President's goals for winning the future.
As Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Special Projects for the First Lady, I help oversee the broad issue portfolio of the First Lady, including her work on childhood obesity, military families, mentoring, and work-family challenges. This role provides a unique vantage point from which to advance the President’s vision, particularly the goal of improving and strengthening the lives of young people. In our Let’s Move! initiative, we focus on educating youth about living healthy lives and making healthy choices. In our military families work, we focus in part on ways to improve the edu
cational opportunities and experiences of military children, and ensure they have the supports they need with one or both parents serving in the military. In our mentoring initiative, we focus on exposing young people to new educational, career, and skills-building opportunities. In all of this work our goal is to inspire young people to be all they can be, to take advantage of every educational opportunity, and to remind them that they are not defined solely by their circumstances but have unlimited potential.
As a native of Washington, DC, working in the White House today is a special privilege -- something I dreamed about doing as a young person but was never quite sure truly would be possible. My greatest influences growing up were my parents, both of whom worked for the federal government like so many in DC, and family members. All believed in a strong work ethic and the power of education. My parents made huge sacrifices to give me a wonderful education, from the National Cathedral School here in Washington, to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Harvard Law School. Along the way I met teachers and professors and colleagues who encouraged and challenged me and helped open my eyes to new opportunities.
What sustained me then -- and now -- were those values instilled by my parents early in life. Those that stressed the importance of fairness and mutual respect, commitment to community and our obligation to give back, having a healthy dose of humility and recognizing our own imperfections, and reaching for your dreams.
The White House
Office of the First Lady
State Dining Room
1:35 P.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Well, isn’t this exciting?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: Oh, my goodness. Well, hello, everyone. It is great to have you all here today. This is really good.
Let me start by recognizing the three or four gentlemen who have joined me on stage: our dear friend, John Legend, who has just been amazing in so many ways; Mr. Smokey Robinson, who needs no introduction, who has been such a dear friend -- (applause); Mr. Berry Gordy, who -- (applause) -- just is; and Mr. Bob Santelli from the Grammy Museum, who’s going to get us started. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you all so much. It means so much to us. I know it means so much to all these students to have you here to spend this kind of quality time. This doesn’t happen often, you do realize that.
Not only getting these gentlemen on the stage together, but the fact that you all have this kind of access, and you’re sitting where, in the White House -- (laughter) -- that's something else.
But of course I want to thank all of you, all the students, for coming out today. I’m excited because you all are coming from all over the country, from schools all over the country, and of course from my hometown, Chicago. (Cheering.) We’ve got some of my neighborhood schools. We’ve got DuSable and Kenwood and Hyde Park -- I’m not going to go into it because I’m going to leave out a few, but we are so excited to have you all here.
And I also understand that you’re going to get to stay a little bit and see some of the performance, as well. So hopefully this is an exciting visit to Washington for you. It is a thrill for us to have you here.
When we moved in this -- to this house a couple years ago, we wanted to open these doors as wide as we could, especially for young people like you. And this music series is one of the ways that we’re doing that. We have held workshops for all different types of music: classical, country, we’ve done some jazz, we’ve done some Broadway, we’ve even done some music from the Civil Rights movement. We did that last February for Black History Month. It was a wonderful event. And we did something for modern dance. So we’re starting to move into other genres, as well.
We do all this because we believe that “the People’s House” shouldn’t be just a nickname. We believe that Prime Ministers and VIPs shouldn’t be the only ones who feel comfortable walking through these doors. We feel that everyone should feel like they belong here, sitting right here in the State Dining Room.
And I hope you realize through this experience that no one here is any different than you all are, whether that’s Smokey Robinson or John Legend or me or my husband, because we are all reflected in you. We see ourselves in you. I say that all the time when I am talking to young people. We were all sitting where you were at some point in time, if you can believe that. We were teenagers once. (Laughter.) Not so funny. We were! (Laughter.)
We went to some of the same high schools that you all did. We went to schools like you. We carried around backpacks. We didn't have computers and iPods, but, you know, we talked to each other on the phone every now and then. We had to dial with the rotary dial -- (laughter) -- but things were a little different.
But we liked to hang out with our friends. We were into music. You know, I even used to know what the latest dances were and taught my brother. I don't know that now.
But we had homework to do. And sometimes our parents embarrassed us, like we now embarrass our children. And growing up, we all had our own dreams. And that's what today is about. It’s about the dreams of kids who grew up knowing that they had a song to sing, and that everyone will want to hear that song.
And it all started with Mr. Gordy in 1960. He was a young man in Detroit with a great idea. He wanted to be one of the very first African Americans to own a record label. So he got an $800 loan from his family -- they owe you big time, right? -- (laughter) -- and started recording music out of his apartment.
And soon he bought a house to record from, and it became home to some of the most popular musicians in the country: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Temptations, the Supremes, the Jackson Five, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and the Supremes. Gladys Knight will be here soon, as well. And one of my personal favorites -- I say this all the time -- who? Who’s my favorite? Stevie Wonder, yes, indeed.
And as Motown rose, so did the forces of change in this country. During that time, it was the time of King and Kennedy, it was a time of marches and rallies and groundbreaking civil rights laws. And Motown’s music was so much more than just a soundtrack. It was a heartbeat.
As one of the members of The Four Tops once said, "Back in the '60s, when we weren't allowed to go certain places, our music crept into people's homes ... into their living rooms, their kitchens, their cars."
Motown helped pave the way for people in this country to look at one another a little differently, because something changed when little girls all across the country saw Diana Ross on the Ed Sullivan Show. It was a change that happened. Something changed when teenagers turned up the volume on the Temptations song, no matter where they lived, in Birmingham or Boston, in Detroit or Denver.
Motown made music for all people, no matter what you looked like, no matter where you came from. And that is why we are so proud, my husband and I, to share Motown’s story as we continue to celebrate Black History Month. See, the people that we’re going to be talking about, that we’re going to hear from, that we’re going to listen to -- the songs, the music -- these are true trailblazers, because as you know, there wouldn’t be an Usher if there wasn’t a Smokey Robinson. You know, there wouldn’t be an Alicia Keys without a Gladys Knight.
But the thing that I want you all to remember is that nobody’s name is printed on the Billboard Top 10 at birth. Nobody is born into this. Neither Mr. Gordy nor Smokey Robinson were born into greatness or wealth. Diana Ross grew up in a housing project. And John Legend is the son of a seamstress and a factory worker. And they are good people.
But they’ve shown us that with enough hard work and a willingness to take some risks, anyone can make it. And this isn’t just true for careers in entertainment or sports. The Motown story is really a metaphor for life.
So whatever your passions are –- whether it’s business, or law, or science, teaching, social services –- with dedication and focus, there is truly nothing that you all can’t do. And if you ever doubt that, just look up on this stage for a second and remember what you can do.
So what I’m asking you all to do now is to really take full advantage of this opportunity, because I’m going to turn the stage over to these individuals who are going to make themselves available to you. So I want you all to ask questions. You don't seem like a shy bunch, so -- but take full advantage. Ask questions and find out about how they reached their dreams so that you can figure out some strategies for reaching yours.
Don't be shy. Ignore the cameras. Hopefully -- I don't know if they’re leaving or not, but if they stay, just ignore them. (Laughter.) And make sure you get all that you can from these men.
And I’m going to leave because I’ve got other stuff to do, but I am so grateful to all of you for taking the time not just to be here this evening, but doing this, because this is really what it’s all about. It’s not this evening’s performance. It’s what's going to happen in this room right now that makes this program so special.
So thank you all. And I want to introduce the man who’s going to get us started, Mr. Bob Santelli, who’s the Executive Director of the Grammy Museum. And I will see you guys doing great things, right?
AUDIENCE: Yes.
MRS. OBAMA: All right, thank you, have fun. (Applause.)
END
1:44 P.M. EST
