Remarks by the First Lady at Global Citizen Festival

Central Park
New York, New York

8:31 P.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA:  Good evening, everyone!  (Applause.)  Let’s give it up for the amazing Beyoncé!  (Applause.)   

I am thrilled to be here tonight.  (Applause.)  And I am honored to follow a woman whom I admire and adore; someone who believes as passionately as I do in the boundless promise of girls worldwide.  (Applause.)  And that’s really one of the reasons why I’m here tonight.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you, Michelle!

MRS. OBAMA:  Because as I said -- I love you guys, too.  Love you.  (Applause.)  But as I said in the video that you saw earlier -- and this is important -- right now, 62 million girls are not in school.  And what’s important to know is that these are our girls.  They deserve the same chances to get an education as my daughters and your daughters and all of our children.  (Applause.)  

And make no mistake about it, giving them that chance is at the core of our work to end global poverty.  It’s the only way to ensure that these girls can fulfill their potential, provide for their families and contribute fully to their countries.  And that’s why, if you haven’t done so already, here’s what I need you to do.  I need all of you to join our 62 Million Girls Campaign right now.  

So here’s what I want you all to do.  I want you to tweet or Instagram a photo of yourself using the hashtag #62MillionGirls, and I want you to answer this one question:  What did I learn in school?  And then, here’s what I want you to do.  I want you to get everyone that you know to do the same thing, too.  All right?  Can we all do that?  (Applause.)  We’re going to do it right now?  (Applause.)  All right.  I’m glad to hear that.  Thank you guys so much.

And now, I have the pleasure of introducing someone who is an inspiration to me and to people around the world.  Our next speaker is an icon -- a global celebrity who has this huge spotlight that follows him everywhere he goes.  But he doesn’t use that spotlight for his own glory or just to further his own fame.  No, he takes that bright light and he shines it on the most urgent moral issues of our time –- issues that a lot of folks don’t know about, like how Poverty is Sexist, for example.  How it is -- it hits women and girls the hardest.  

This man is a dear friend to me and my family.  He’s a role model for me and the President in our work on girls’ education and so many other global issues.  And I am so proud to introduce him tonight.  

Ladies and gentlemen, join me in welcoming the one and only, Bono.  (Applause.)  

END
8:35 P.M. EDT