*First Lady Michelle Obama is once again addressing being labeled an “angry black woman”― and it’s an offense that she has had to give attention to since 2012, after her portrayal in a book by a hateful and jealous New York Times reporter. Mrs. Obama explained her initial reaction to the label to Oprah during her final interview at the White House, which aired last night (12-19-16) on CBS.
“That was one of those things where you think, ‘Dang, you don’t even know me,’” Mrs. Obama says. “You just sort of feel like, ‘Wow, where did that come from?’ And that’s the first blowback.”
She added: “You think, ‘That is so not me.’ But then you sort of think, ‘Well, this isn’t about me. This is about the person or the people who write it,’” Mrs. Obama says. “That’s just the truth.”
READ RELATED STORY: Taraji Henson and Octavia Spencer Play Superheroes in ‘Hidden Figures’ (EUR Exclusive)
Mrs. Obama believes at the heart of the label is fear.
“You start thinking, ‘Oh, wow, we’re so afraid of each other,’” she says. “Color. Wealth. These things that don’t matter still play too much of a role in how we see one another, and it’s sad because the thing that least defines us as people is the color of our skin… It’s our values. It’s how we live our lives. And you can’t tell that from somebody’s race, somebody’s religion. People have to act it out. They have to live those lives.”
With this outlook, Mrs. Obama made the firm decision about how she would live her life.
“I thought, ‘OK, well, let me live my life out loud so that people can then see and then judge for themselves,’” she says. “And that’s what I want young people to do: Just live your life. Live it out loud.”
EUR BONUS VIDEO COVERAGE:
Mrs. Obama’s full interview aired on CBS Monday, Dec. 19, at 8 p.m. ET. An encore presentation will air on OWN Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 9 p.m. ET and will also be available on demand via the free Watch OWN app.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
