If you watched the DNC last night, you heard a lot of speeches.
And some booing.
And probably some inaudible chanting.
But there was one thing that was simply unforgettable: Michelle Obama's speech.
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.
Democrats and Republicans alike were in awe of the first lady’s emotional remarks.
What exactly did Michelle say that was so moving? Here are five quotes from Michelle Obama's speech that you should probably keep handy for whenever someone questions if America really is all that awesome.
1. “I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, and I watch my daughters — two beautiful, intelligent black young women — playing on the White House lawn.”
Despite America’s horrifying history with race, African-Americans have risen up against slavery, lynching, discrimination, and hate.
GIF from the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
While race relations in the U.S. are far from perfect right now, the way Michelle looks at her daughters playing on the White House lawn is the way that I (and so many other black people) have looked at the entire Obama family over the course of eight years — with a sense of hope and possibility for a future where all Americans have an equal chance at the America Dream.
2. "With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us."
Adding responsibility to her words, Michelle Obama made an excellent point about our need to be role models for our children, because they are watching us throughout this election. "We as parents are their most important role models. And let me tell you, Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as president and first lady because we know that our words and actions matter, not just to our girls, but to the children across this country..." She went on to add, whether you're the POTUS, a parent, or an adult living your day-to-day life, you are still an example to a child. We decide what kind of actions we want our kids to see. And with our votes, we get to determine the future of America.
3. "When they go low, we go high.”
GIF from the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
This one ruffled some feathers, but the FLOTUS knows a thing or two about going high when others go low. The two-time Ivy League grad (she's the first First Lady to have those kind of credentials) has talked candidly in the past about facing racism and sexism during her college years and professional years.
But she has gone high when others have gone low, and her words were an important reminder that we all have the power to do so during this election cycle.
4. "And when crisis hits, we don’t turn against each other. No, we listen to each other, we lean on each other because we are always stronger together."
When people lined up in droves to donate blood after the tragedy in Orlando, we were stronger together.
When religious communities around the country came together to honor the Charleston 9, we were stronger together.
And when we said no to hate and yes to love, Americans were stronger together.
Those are just a few examples of America letting its soul and dedication to liberty and justice for all take the lead. And Michelle reminded us that together, in times of happiness and times of distress, we are an unshakeable nation.
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.
5. "Don't let anyone tell you that our country isn't great, that somehow we need to make it great again, because right now, this is the greatest country on Earth."
When America falls down, we get back up with a vengeance. When we see bigotry and complacency taking place, people from all over the country mobilize to stop that hate. We hold our elected officials to a high standard, and we call them out when they fail to adhere to what is right. We use our democracy to demand justice, even when it's hard or uncomfortable.
Our melting pot of a population — immigrants, minorities, LGBTQ folks, folks with disabilities, folks of all colors and backgrounds — also makes our country great.
And yes, we have a ways to go. But this kind of an America is an America worth fighting for.
"That’s how we’ve always moved this country forward, by all of us coming together on behalf of our children, folks who volunteer to coach that team, to teach that Sunday school class, because they know it takes a village."
