Writing in Newsweek, Allison Samuels considers what Michelle Obama would mean to African-American women if she were first lady–and also the kinds of problems she’ll confront with the mainstream media:
Whatever she does, I hope she doesn’t fall victim to critics with little point of reference. Take this month’s issue of Town and Country magazine. An article–written by a white female reporter–offers advice to both potential first ladies. The writer suggests Cindy McCain let her “personality and experience shine” and motivate others to give back.
For Michelle, the writer suggests that she avoid “popping off when your guard is down” and to be careful “about how, when and if she injects her ethnicity â┚¬Ã‚¦ into her platform as First Lady.”
The underlying message is that the last thing anyone needs to be reminded of is that Michelle Obama is all black, unlike her husband, who is mixed–as the writer points out for seemingly no reason.
And that speaks to the larger issue that Michelle Obama could pose for the media. Because few mainstream publications have done in-depth features on regular African-American women (and no, Halle Berry, Oprah and Beyoncé don’t count), little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis. For better or worse, Michelle will become a stand-in for us all.
Who IS Allison Samuels and ……. Does she still work for Town and Country? Today is November 5th……..