The MO Factor

It’s a fact that Michelle Obama is the 44th First Lady, but that is not all that she is. She is also a successful lawyer, writer, and activist that is from the South Side of Chicago. She is an influential Black female that isn’t silenced by others. She has a voice that she uses for the empowerment of women and children and strives to help others the most that she can. Obama is the perfect role model, and she continues to inspire people each and every day. One of those people is me.

A couple of weeks ago, I got the opportunity to meet the infamous Michelle Obama when she made a surprise visit to my high school, and her alma mater, Whitney M. Young, to say hello to my dance group. If you watched the ABC special “Becoming Michelle: A First Lady’s Journey with Robin Roberts,” then you know what I’m talking about. The lady I admired for years from the TV was right in front of my face! She walked in the studio and the atmosphere in the room suddenly felt like a bright light had just been turned on. Michelle Obama was that light. All of the power and confidence that she had could be felt. Literally, when she touched me I believed that I was ten times more able to do the impossible. It was honestly astonishing to see her in the flesh, and I was even more surprised when she started speaking.

“I want you all to learn to be advocates for yourself in this life, because people will try to take your voice and shape it in a way that has nothing to do with who you are,” she said.

Obama acknowledged the challenges she faced to prove that she was good enough, and her struggle to destroy the ugly stereotype of what a Black girl from Chicago looks, speaks, and lives like. She talked to us straight from her heart about her insecurities and fears that she has had in life, and her ability to maintain meaningful eye contact helped us see her passion and hope for us–the future generation.

After she motivated all of us to basically conquer the world, she ecstatically told us, “I want to give each and every one of you a hug!” That’s all it took for me. I immediately rushed towards her and gave her a hug. She towered over me elegantly, and hugged me like I was her own daughter. There was care and encouragement in that hug. It was almost as if she was reassuring me that I was destined to do great things, and she was there in support. “Is this really happening? Am I actually touching Michelle Obama?” This thought clouded my mind, and I was just left stunned by the entire situation.

Her legacy will forever be remembered in our dance room as we got her to sign a picture of herself doing a “poorly executed” kick (her words not mine) that hung on our wall for years. She had finally returned to Whitney Young since she rose to fame, and we were the ones that were able to experience her glory. We were even surprised to find out that she requested to see us, because the dance room was where she found herself the happiest when she was in high school. As we took a group picture, we all felt that same feeling. That dance room made us all happy and gave us plenty of opportunities that we could never think of. It made me think about how we are in the same situation and mindset that Michelle Obama was at when she was my age. This revealed to me that being like her is not as out of reach as I thought it was.

There was just something about Michelle Obama that makes her so respectable, inspiring, and easy to look up to. Let’s call this something “The MO Factor.” She acts as a light to others, because she brightens and uplifts so many people. Her dedication to public service and helping others is hard to miss, and it shows how she values giving back. What she is for so many other people is exactly what you can be for others. You can be just like Michelle Obama by inspiring and teaching other people something new. Regardless of how big or small, making a positive difference in this mess of a world is important. So at the end of the day you can ask yourself: “Do I have ‘The MO Factor?’”