“It can’t be just about what’s good for you but what’s good for all of us,” First Lady Michelle Obama said about men joining the fight to end inequality.
In an SXSW keynote speech aimed to “break the barriers for the 62 million girls around the world who are not in school today,” Obama got real about the importance of education and staying focused as a young student growing up in Chicago.
“Growing up as a Black girl in Chicago where the expectations were limited—there were always people telling me what I couldn’t do,” she told the crowd.
Later, in a discussion about inclusion, FLOTUS stressed the importance of bringing men in on the fight for equality, urging them to “get it together.”
“If you’re a man at the table and you look around and there’s only men at the table, you should ask yourselves, how can I do better?” she said.
“It can’t be just about what’s good for you, but what’s good for all of us.”
Following a question about life after the White House (and a brief rendition of ‘It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye’)
FLOTUS told the crowd that there are definitely plans post-presidency: “There’s a lifetime after the White House, so we’re going to keep pushing.”
When asked by moderator Queen Latifah what she will miss most about being the First Lady, Mrs. Obama swiftly replied “you all.” But will she run for president someday? Probably not, she told the crowd.
“Being the kid of a President is tough,” she said, referring to Sasha and Malia Obama. “They’ve handled it with such grace and poise. But enough is enough.”
Michelle Obama will take the South By Southwest Festival in Austin by storm tomorrow and being the boss she is, it’s no surprise she’ll have a few queens with her.
Missy Elliott, Diane Warren, and Sophia Bush will join the First Lady on stage, as Queen Latifah moderates a discussion about “finding one’s passion, music, and the importance of girls’ education everywhere,” according to SXSW’s website.
The announcement continues:
The First Lady will also be highlighting the Obama Administration’s Let Girls Learn initiative, which aims to break barriers for the 62 million girls around the world who are not in school today, more than half of whom are adolescent.
First Lady Michelle Obama’s keynote at SXSW 2016 will be a landmark event that SXSW is proud to be hosting in its 30th year. SXSW Music brings the global music industry together and offers the perfect platform for the First Lady’s call to action to support girls’ education.
Halle and Chloe Bailey will provide the opening music. The two sisters have been performing together since their YouTube cover of ‘Pretty Hurts’ went viral in 2013. The pair are signed to Beyoncé’s management company, Parkwood Entertainment.
Zendaya kicked off the inspiring event on Twitter with the First Lady’s anthem, ‘This Is For My Girls,’ featuring Missy Elliott, Lea Michele, Kelly Rowland, Kelly Clarkson and more.
