Remarks by the First Lady at National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards

East Room

2:34 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Hello, everyone.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Please.  Well, welcome to the White House.  (Laughter.)  You guys having fun?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

MRS. OBAMA:  I am, too.  Well, we’re back again for the 2014 winners of the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards.  Yay!  (Applause.)  It’s good stuff.

I want to start, of course, by thanking everyone from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities for sponsoring these awards and for their just amazing leadership.  Let me just take a moment to just say how wonderful it is just to have such a wonderful team of people who are so passionate and so committed and so dedicated to this work.  It has just been an honor working with you all.  I’m so proud of you.  I could go on and on and on, but -- I’m going to actually make you all stand up so that we can see -- come on -- will you guys stand up so that we can see who you are and really thank you, everyone.  (Applause.)  Thank you all.  Thank you all so much.  Great work, great work.  (Applause.)

But most of all, I want to thank everyone in this room, because we have here with us teachers, we have artists, mentors -- all of you are doing the hard work of creating these wonderful programs for our young people every single day.  You’re out there in the trenches doing the really tough, important, wonderful work.  And we’re just so grateful.

And in this role as First Lady, I have the opportunity to meet with so many different people from industries throughout the country -- elected officials, entertainers, business leaders, so many others.  And I always try to ask them one thing –- I want to know from them, what are they doing for our young people?  I always want to know that no matter what I’m doing.  I’m trying to figure out, how are we incorporating these young people?  How are we creating the next generation of artists and entrepreneurs and leaders who are going to take our place? 

And the truth is, you guys are really answering that question in a very profound, wonderful way, because your work is the answer.  It really is.  Every day, you are lifting up young people across this country, inspiring them to dream bigger and bigger for themselves in ways that just touch my heart and makes this work really worthwhile.

  From the Mississippi Delta, to my hometown of Chicago, to Houston, you all are helping young people learn to play the blues -- we’re going to get a little taste of that later on.  (Laughter.)  You help them put on their own Shakespeare productions.  You help them create their own go-karts and fashion designs.

For example, in Aurora, California [Colorado], you’ve got a program called “Job Training in the Arts,” where students not only learn skills like woodworking and design, but they also learn what it’s like to have a J-O-B.  (Laughter.)  Yes, got to know about that, right -- (laughter) -- how to do things like show up on time -- we talk about that in my household all the time -- (laughter) -- how to meet deadlines, and to present your work as a finished product at a gallery.  Great stuff.

In Los Angeles, there’s this wonderful after-school dance program called “Everybody Dance!”  And it’s making a difference for more than 600 children from underserved areas each year.  And as one former student said -- these are her words -- she said, “I can’t tell you how much this program and everything it stands for means to me.”  She said, “I learned to love, I learned to cope, I learned to express myself, and most importantly, I learned to be.”  And she says, “I am infinitely grateful.”

And that’s what we see time and again with your programs.  You teach kids more than just skills in the arts and the humanities, but you light a fire in them.  You help them grow emotionally and socially.  You give kids a spring in their step when they get out of bed each morning.  You give them something to look forward to after school each day.

And as all of you know, that has an impact on our kids -- not just on their success in the arts and in the humanities, but on their success in school and in life.  We talk about this every time we do these events -- you all know the statistics.  Research shows that arts education leads to better scores in reading and in math -- we know this.  Students who are highly involved in the arts stay in school longer than those who are not.

So through these programs, students are learning critical lessons in grit and creativity, teamwork, attention to detail that’s going to serve them well whether they go on in careers in the arts, or whether they go into science, or business, or anything else. 

So to all the young people here -- I always have a message.  You kind of aren’t in my line of sight -- but I just want you all to understand that these programs are important to change the trajectory of your lives.  I hope you understand that -- that one of the reasons we bring you here is that this stuff is good for you.  It is really, really good for you, and you are all so blessed to have these opportunities.  Because through it, you’re going to meet the mentor of your dreams.  Maybe you’ll meet another student who pushes you to be more than what you could be.  You just never know who you’re going to run into and what it’s going to do for your life.

So I want you to embrace these opportunities, and I want you to embrace them for the rest of your lives.  I want you to be seeking these kinds of opportunities out everywhere you go.  But I want you to also understand that no matter what you want to do in life, the most important thing for you to do is get an education, is really get a good education.  You have to.  That’s one of the reasons that we -- why we started Reach Higher, because we want to inspire all young people in this country to pursue their education beyond high school.  Because it’s through that education that -- it’s going to give you the chance to have control over your future.

And I can’t emphasize that enough to kids around this country.  We can’t play with education.  And through education, we need to expose them to the arts and to music, and to science and to -- but they’ve got to be in school.  So I want you guys to take this message back to all the other young people who don’t have a chance to sit here in the White House, and to experience this wonderful, unique opportunity.

But I want you to remember this one thing if nothing else from this day:  that your education is critical.  That’s why I’m standing here, that’s why most of the people in this room are here.  Don’t play around with it.  It’s the best investment that you’ll make, okay?  You guys promise me that?  Okay.  (Applause.)

And I also hope that events like this show our kids that they’ve got a lot of people behind them, right?  There are just so many people around the world who have your backs.  Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way, but look -- you’ve got all these folks who have your backs.  You’ve got a President and First Lady -- (laughter) -- we’ve got your backs.  We believe in you.  We really do.  (Applause.)

So stay focused.  Keep believing in yourselves.  Keep working hard.  Keep reaching higher -- remember that, reach higher, okay?  And keep making us proud.

And once again, to all of the folks who support these programs, who make this happen, we’re just grateful, and we just encourage you -- don’t get tired.  (Laughter.)  Yes, stay in there.  We’re really appreciative.  And I hope this afternoon, this time here at the White House is just a small way of us expressing our appreciation for the wonderful work you do.  So thank you, on behalf of our nation.

And with that, I’m going to turn it over to the co-chair of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, my dear friend, George Stevens Jr.  (Applause.)

    * * * * *

Wow!  Would you ever expect that sound coming out of those little people?  (Laughter.)  Wow, you guys are awesome!  (Applause.)  Wow!  Give me some of that.  Oh, man!  Oh!  Oh!  Oh!  Oh, my goodness!  (Applause.)  We need to have these guys back when we do our music series on the blues, that’s what we need to do.

Well, that was the best way to end, I mean, right there.  Because that’s what I always want to remind people -- it’s like, you just never know the power, the talent that is inside these kids.

And just think, if these kids didn’t have an opportunity to express that -- that’s what’s at stake.  We miss out on this.  And there are millions of kids who are missing out on this.  They have the same talent, the same drive, the same ability, the same passion, they just don’t have access to the programs that they need to get the support that they need, which is why these awards are so meaningful and special -- because they highlight to the world what the arts and humanities mean in the lives of so many kids across this country and around the world.

So as usual, well done.  Well done.  It has been a great afternoon.  We’re so proud of all of our awardees, all the young people who are here.  Just remember that message and pay it forward.  Find the next kids you guys are going to mentor, right?  Because you’re never too young to mentor.

And I want to thank all of you for all the work you do.  It’s a wonderful way to spend some time in the White House, and I hope you guys had a great time.  So there’s a reception to follow, I believe.  You guys, enjoy yourselves.  Don’t tear anything up.  (Laughter.)  We’re watching.  (Laughter.)

But thank you all again.  Have a great afternoon.  (Applause.)

END
3:20 P.M. EST

Remarks by the First Lady at "Salute to the Troops" Workshop

East Room

11:07 A.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Well, hello.

AUDIENCE:  Hi!

MRS. OBAMA:  What’s going on?  Just hanging out at the White House, in the East Room.  (Laughter.)  We’re excited to have you guys here.  Welcome, welcome.

Well, this is our latest edition of our White House Music Series -- did they tell you that?  That that’s why you’re here?  (Laughter.)  But today, with Veterans Day right around the corner, we’re saluting our troops.  And during this workshop, we’re going to be talking about the role of music in national life, how it can move us and inspire us and bring us together. 

And we’ve got some really special guests here who are going to be part of this conversation.  We have Willie Nelson, who is here.  (Applause.)  You guys may have heard of this guy, Common, who is up here.  (Applause.)  We have Christiana Ball, who won the Army’s Rising Star competition.  (Applause.)  We have Ted Peterson, who is a songwriter who served in the military for eight years.  (Applause.)  And to help lead the discussions, we have my dear friend, Bob Santelli, who’s here, as well.  (Applause.)

But our most special guests here today are all of you.  We have got some wonderful young people here from Bel Air, Maryland, as well as from Quantico and Alexandria, Virginia -- we can hear it.  Let’s hear it.  (Applause.)  You can whoop it up here.  That’s good, that’s good.   

And one of the reasons why we wanted to bring this group together is that we have many military kids in the audience today.  Can I just hear a round of applause for the folks who are military kids?  (Applause.)  And this was my request, because as we’re doing the big celebration in the tent, I wanted to make sure that we had an opportunity to highlight you guys here.  Because I think that everyone in this country should know your stories.  They really should.  Because I’ve gotten to know them, and you guys are amazing.

But the unfortunate thing is not everybody does.  Not everybody knows what it’s like to be a military kid in this country.  A lot of folks don’t understand what it’s like to grow up in a military family. 

Let me give you some statistics.  They might not know that there are more than two million military kids across this country, or that every school district in America includes military-connected children and youth.  They might not realize that, on average, military kids like many of you move between six to nine times by the time you graduate from high school. 

Now, for you guys, that sounds natural, right?  That’s just the way life goes.  But a lot of folks may not know that each of those moves means not just adjusting to a new house, but also to a new school, to a whole new neighborhood, a new set of friends -- every single time you move.  You’re readjusting constantly.  Maybe your school doesn’t have the AP classes that you need to take, so you’re scrambling to figure out how you’re going to readjust your work -- I see a lot of heads nodding.  Maybe it’s tough to get playing time on your new team because you moved again, and you’re trying to start over. 

Maybe you’re going through all this -- this touches my heart because my daughter is a junior now and she’s studying for the ACTs, or the SATs or whatever that is -- (laughter) -- all that stuff you all have to do.  And just imagine these kids who are moving and trying to adjust and still take their tests and prepare.  They’re worried about the colleges they’re going to go to and whether colleges will understand or accept all of the different credits on your transcripts -- just imagine that, the whole college process being a little more muddled.

And on top of all of that, many of you might be dealing with a mom or dad who’s deployed overseas, maybe for the fourth or fifth time.  And that means they’re missing a lot of birthdays and games and practices and plays, and all the good stuff that many civilian parents take for granted.  And while they’re gone, that means that many of you have to pick up the slack; that you have to be that rock for your younger siblings.  Maybe you have to pick up some extra chores or just balance the emotions that are going on in your family.  So many of you have to grow up a little faster and take on a little more responsibility than a lot of other kids your age. 

But here’s one of the many reasons why I love military kids and why I wanted to make sure you all got highlighted today as we celebrate:  It’s because while you all go through all of this, you’re some of the most resilient young people that I have ever met.  I mean, truly, the fact that you’re still managing to excel in your classes -- so many of you are at the top of your classes, so many of you are getting into the colleges of your choice, you’re dealing as leaders in your schools.  Many of you are student leaders, many of you are still involved in community service, finding ways to volunteer even as you move from school to school to school.  And you know how to roll with the punches, which -- a lot of people your age don’t even know what that means:  inconvenience.  You guys know how to handle this, how to handle things when they don’t go your way. 

And just imagine all the stuff you’ve been exposed to as you’ve traveled throughout the country -- many of you have traveled throughout the world -- that you’re exposed to so many different people and cultures and you’re learning how to adapt.  You have a broader view of the nation and the world.  So many of you will be the next leaders because of these experiences.  And that’s what I want to make sure you all know:  As tough as it is, this stuff makes you stronger and more resilient, and it’s going to make you successful.  So it’s a badge of honor. 

And that’s why you all are heroes to me and to my husband -- because of what you all do.  You manage to allow your families to continue to serve.  I just know that many of your parents couldn’t do what they do if you all didn’t hold yourselves together the way you do.  And for that, we are grateful. 

And that’s one of the things we’re trying to do with our Joining Forces initiative, is to really show military kids like you how grateful we are -- even little things.  We’re helping to work with teachers to understand what you’re going through.  We’re trying to make sure that you all have AP classes in your schools so that when you transfer, you have access to the best kind of courses that you need to pursue college.  We’re trying to help you transition once you go to college. 

So to all of you who didn’t grow up in a military family, I mean, one of the things that I want to make sure is that you realize that there are kids around who have.  And it’s incumbent upon all of us to step up on their behalf.  So for the young people out there, if you see a new kid at your school, I want you to reach out to them.  Ask them whether they’re from a military family.  Find out whether there’s a way you can help ease their transition -- maybe invite them to be on your team, maybe check out bringing them into a club.  You could ask them to do any number of things -- invite them to be part of your group. 

All of us have a role to play in making these kids know that they live in a grateful nation.  There are so many ways to pitch in -- and sometimes that means just finding a new way to say thank you.  That’s really what we try to do with Joining Forces -- just in a small way get this country to understand that these folks are sacrificing so much, and all they want from us is to know that their sacrifice is acknowledged and that it means something. 

So that’s what we’re doing today.  It’s one of the things we’re doing today.  We wanted to bring you all to the White House today to show you how much we appreciate everything you do for the country.  And I know that all these folks up on stage feel the same way. 

So in a little bit, I’m going to turn it over to Bob to start the discussion, and I want you all to listen to what these folks have to say -- and not only about music, but also about life.  They have so much to offer.  Willie is one of the greatest country singers the world has ever known.  Common grew up on the South Side of Chicago -- South Side!  (Laughter.)  Turned himself into one of the biggest names in hip-hop.  And he does so much more than music.  Christiana and Ted have served our country in uniform just like many of your parents.  So they’ve got a lot of wisdom to impart.

So I want you guys -- loosen up, make yourselves feel at home.  Because the beauty of this experience for you is that you can relax into and enjoy it.  And raise your hand and ask questions.  I know it’s the White House, I know there are cameras.  (Laughter.)  But try to ignore all that and get as much as you can out of this experience and others.

And then here’s the thing I always ask the young people we bring in, is that for every single one of you there’s someone who couldn’t be in those chairs.  So the question I have for you all to think about is how are you going to pay this forward.  What are you going to do to share this experience with other kids in your community who may not have had this opportunity?  So think about that along the way.

And I hope you have fun and I hope you enjoy your time here.  And just don’t break anything.  (Laughter.)  It’s the only rule.

So with that, I’m going to turn it over to Bob, who’s going to get the conversation started.  You guys have a great time.  I love you all.  I’m very proud of you.  (Applause.) 

END
11:19 A.M. EST

Remarks by the First Lady at a Grassroots Campaign Event for Democratic Candidate for Governor, Anthony Brown -- Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore War Memorial Building
Baltimore, Maryland

5:02 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  You guys fired up?  (Applause.)  This looks like a good crowd ready to get this done.  Hello, everyone.  I am honored to be here.  (Applause.) 

First of all, I am so proud to be here today at this powerful memorial honoring so many people who have served our country so bravely.  And I’m thrilled to show my support for someone with his own outstanding record of service to this country, our friend, the next Governor of Maryland, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown.  (Applause.)  We got to get this done.

Before I get -- before I go in, I want to start by recognizing the many other outstanding Maryland leaders we have here today.  I want to thank Congressman Cummings for hosting us here today -- yes, indeed -- (applause) -- as well as Senators Cardin and Mikulski.  (Applause.)  We have my dear friend, Governor Martin O’Malley -- (applause) -- Representatives John Sarbanes, Dutch Ruppersberger, Steny Hoyer, Donna Edwards.  (Applause.)  Of course, your Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.  (Applause.)  City Council President Jack Young.  (Applause.)  And of course, your next Lieutenant Governor, Ken Ulman.  (Applause.) 
But most of all, I am here because I want to thank all of you, truly.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Michelle!  (Applause.) 

MRS. OBAMA:  You all keep us lifted up.  Because, like me, I know you all are fired up and ready to go and ready to get this done.  And I know that, like me, you all are here today for one simple reason:  You’re here because you know that this election isn’t just about who’s up on this stage.  This election is about you.  It’s about what’s going on in your lives and in your families and in your communities. 

You’re here because when you kiss your kids goodbye each morning, you want to send them to a good school; the kind of schools with good teachers who are going to push them and inspire them, and put them on track to college and good jobs.  (Applause.) 

You’re here because you believe that when you’ve worked your heart out putting in 40, 50 hours a week, you should make a decent wage, be able to raise a family on it.  (Applause.)  If you’re a woman, you believe you should get equal pay for your work.  (Applause.) 

You’re here because you know that things are starting to get better.  You’ve heard the numbers.  Under this President, our businesses have created more than 10 million new jobs since 2010.  This is the longest uninterrupted run of private sector job growth in our nation’s history.  (Applause.)  And you’re here because you want to keep heading in the right direction. 

But most of all, you’re here because you know that when it comes to your schools and your jobs and your paychecks, so many of these decisions are made by your governor.  And that’s why we’re here today for Anthony -- because we have seen with our own eyes what he has done for this state.

Anthony has led the efforts to implement our new health care law, and he’s helped expand health care coverage to nearly 400,000 folks here in the state of Maryland.  We’ve seen that with our own eyes.  (Applause.)  Anthony has worked hard to improve services and benefits for our veterans here in this state, because like me and I know like all of you, Anthony believes that we should serve our veterans as well as they have served this country.  (Applause.) 

Anthony has been fighting to invest in education.  Nothing is more important than education.  (Applause.)  He’s worked to invest in infrastructure because he wants to create jobs in every corner of this state.  And he wants every child to have a good school no matter where they live or how much money their parents make.  (Applause.)  Because in the end, that’s really what Anthony is all about.  He’s about creating opportunity.  He’s about helping others -- that’s what he’s spent his life doing, serving this state and this country.

So we all know why Anthony is in this.  We all know who he stands for -- he stands for you.  He stands for your families.  So we need to do everything we can to vote for Anthony Brown as the next Governor of Maryland.  We’ve got to get this done.  (Applause.) 

Now, tomorrow is the day.  Tomorrow is the day.  And we know this won’t be easy.  But let me tell you, nothing we have done has been easy.  We know a little bit about things not being easy.  We know there is too much money in politics.  We know that special interests have way too much influence.  But, Maryland, Baltimore, this is what I want you to understand tomorrow:  they had plenty of money and plenty of influence back in 2006 and 2010, and Anthony and Martin O’Malley still won those elections.  (Applause.)  You want to know why they won?  They won because you showed up and you voted.  That’s exactly why they won.

You see, at the end of the day, the folks running those special interest groups, the folks pouring millions of dollars into those elections -- see, here’s the thing -- they each just have one vote, and so do each of us.  And those votes are what decides elections here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

So every single one of those votes matters.  Because this election is going to be incredibly close.  I want you to think back to Anthony’s first race for lieutenant governor back in 2006 -- take this in, because this is important.  The outcome of that election was decided by about 60,000 votes.  So if just 60,000 people had voted for that opponent instead, you would have had a different governor and lieutenant governor.  And while that might sound like a lot, when you break that number down, that’s just 30 votes per precinct.  You understand how tight that is?  That’s 30 votes.

So if there is anyone in this state who thinks their vote doesn’t matter, if anyone is thinking of sitting this election out, I just want you to think of those margins.  I mean, just look around this room alone.  Think about how many precincts all of the folks just in this room could swing for Anthony if we get ourselves and everyone we know out to the polls tomorrow.  That is the power that you all have right now, right here today.  (Applause.) 

So right now, I want you all to make a plan -- because voting can’t just happen.  You need a plan.  Decide when you’re going to do it; write it down, where you need to go.  Be sure to call folks tonight.  Remind them to vote tomorrow -- 30 votes per precinct.  Make sure they have a plan to get to the polls, and don’t take no for an answer. 

I want you to think about who’s going to babysit, who’s going to pick who up, who needs a ride.  That’s the kind of planning you need to do.  (Applause.)  Because we can’t miss anyone.  And remind people, voting couldn’t be easier.  All you have to do is show up tomorrow and bring everyone you know with you.  Bring your neighbors, your friends, that cousin on the couch.  (Applause.)  Bring the folks from church -- bring them.  Join the millions of people across this country making their voices heard.  Don’t be left out.

We’ve got one day.  Because here’s what you’ve got to understand:  If we stay home tomorrow, we’re just letting other folks decide the outcome for us.  See, and if we do that, we know exactly what will happen.  We will see less support for our kids’ schools.  We’ll see more folks trying to interfere in women’s private decisions about our bodies and our health care.  (Applause.)  We’ll see more special breaks for those at the top instead of hardworking folks.

So, Maryland, I want to be very clear:  If you want to keep on creating good jobs all across this state; if you believe that folks who are working full time shouldn’t have to live in poverty in the wealthiest nation on the planet; if you think every child here in Maryland should have the education they need from preschool to college to fulfill their God-given potential, then you need to get out and vote for Anthony Brown tomorrow -- tomorrow.  (Applause.) 

Because in the end, we have to remember, that’s really what’s at stake in this election.  Think about this -- it’s the kind of world we want to leave for our kids and our grandkids.  See, that’s why I’m in this -- for our children.  Because those kids are counting on us to stand up for them. 

And we know these kids.  These are our kids, and they’re everywhere all over this state.  One young woman is one of my mentees, Rashema Melson, who I met here in Washington.  Rashema’s father was murdered when she was a baby, and for years her family was homeless.  Of course, there were days when she didn’t even have clean clothes to wear to school.  But Rashema, she still showed up every morning ready for school.  She threw herself into every class, often waking up in the middle of the night to do her homework because that’s the only time it was quiet in the homeless shelter where she lived.

But here’s the thing about Rashema -- by senior year, Rashema had earned herself a 4.0 GPA.  (Applause.)  She graduated as the valedictorian of her class.  And right now, she is on full scholarship at Georgetown University.  (Applause.) 

And as I travel across the country, I meet so many kids like Rashema -- kids who are working two or three jobs to save up for college.  Kids whose parents don’t speak a word of English, and are fighting so hard to make it in this country.  These are our kids -- kids who are out there on their own, waking up early, staying up late studying as hard as they can because they know that’s the only way out.

These kids have every reason to give up, but they don’t because they are so hungry to succeed, they are so desperate to lift themselves up.  See, and that’s why me and Barack, we do what we do every day -- because those kids never give up, and neither can we.  (Applause.) 

So let me say -- something, Maryland, Baltimore -- we need to be energized for them.  We need to be inspired for them.  We need to get out and vote tomorrow so that they can have opportunities they need to build the future they deserve.  (Applause.) 

And here’s what I know:  I know we can do this.  If everyone here and around the state, if we all step up and we bring others along with us, then I know that we can keep on making that change we believe in.  I know we can elect Anthony Brown as Governor of Maryland.  And I know that together, we can build a future worthy of all our children.

Thank you all.  God bless.  Get it done tomorrow.  (Applause.)

END  
5:16 P.M. EST