*Speaking to CBS This Morning‘s Gayle King about the conviction of Derek Chauvin of the murder of George Floyd, former First Lady Michelle Obama shared her worries about the safety of her daughters — 19-year-old Sasha and 22-year-old Malia anytime they get into a car by themselves.
“They’re driving, but every time they get in a car by themselves, I worry about what assumption is being made by somebody who doesn’t know everything about them: The fact that they are good students and polite girls, but maybe they’re playing their music a little loud. Maybe somebody sees the back of their head and makes an assumption,” she said.
Obama continued: “I, like so many parents of Black kids … the innocent act of getting a license puts fear in our hearts. So I think we have to talk about it more and we have to ask our fellow citizens to listen a bit more and to believe us and to know that we don’t want to be out there marching.”
As reported by PEOPLE, Obama went on to acknowledge that protests against racism and police misconduct are necessary.
“All those Black Lives Matter kids, they’d rather not have to worry about this. They’re taking to the streets because they have to,” Obama said. “They’re trying to have people understand that we’re real folks. And the fear that many have of so many of us is irrational and it’s based on a history that is sad and it’s dark, and it’s time for us to move beyond that.”
READ MORE: Michelle Obama Celebrates New College Students with Star-Studded #CollegeSigningDay
Meanwhile, Obama previously told PEOPLE that she’s ready for retirement.
“I’ve been telling my daughters I’m moving toward retirement right now, [selectively] picking projects and chasing summer,” she said. “Barack and I never want to experience winter again. We’re building the foundation for somebody else to continue the work so we can retire and be with each other—and Barack can golf too much, and I can tease him about golfing too much because he’s got nothing else to do.”
This past year has also allowed her more time to bond with her daughters. “Our girls were supposed to have emptied out of my nest. I was sort of celebrating that they were out building their lives and allowing me the emotional space to let them go. Well, they’re back!” she said.
“There’s something about witnessing your children become adults and developing a different relationship with them,” Obama continued. “They didn’t come back into the house into the same set of rules, because I didn’t want them to miss out on independence. They came back as young women and our conversations are more peer-oriented than they are mother-to-daughter.”
She added, “With everybody homeschooling, what’s interesting for me is to listen in on some of their classes to hear how they interact with their professors. When your kids are off in college, you don’t get to see that part of them.”
In related news, Obama will headline the National Women’s Hall of Fame 2021 induction ceremony on Oct. 2.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
