Time Magazine reporter Maya Rhodan sat down with President Barack Obama and prima ballerina Misty Copeland for a conversation that covered several topics familiar to the pair who've reached the top of their professional fields.
During the 30 minute chat, the two delve deep into issues of gender, race and representation.
Misty notes that though she has faced incredible obstacles in the ballet world, they've only pushed her to work harder. In the conversation she says, "...it’s also allowed me to have this fire inside of me that I don’t know if I would have or have had if I weren’t in this field."
The two were also able to have a robust conversation about the ways that beauty standards cast aside women who don't fit into the mainstream ideal.
Misty says that her skin color and body type have often come under scrutiny. "I think that being in this position and showing that I can execute and do all of these things that it’s possible to have any skin complexion, to have a healthy body image for the ballerina body."
As a father of two, the President says he worries about the messages his teenage daughters receive. "It’s part and parcel of a broader way in which we socialize and press women to constantly doubt themselves or define themselves in terms of a certain appearance," he says. "And so Michelle and I are always guarding against that."
President Obama highlights the value of representation but underscores that the systems marginalized groups must navigate are fundamentally unfair, "But what we also have to remember is that the barriers that exist for them to pursue their dreams are deep and structural," he says.
106-Year-Old Virginia McLaurin is everything. Virginia McLaurin was born in 1909 in South Carolina and now lives in DC. She visited the White House to celebrate Black History month and was treated to a private audience with the President and First Lady.
Age hasn't stopped her a bit. As soon as the President appeared, Virginia greeted him with a big "Hi!" She, then, hustled over to the First Lady and a mini dance party ensued. The entire encounter was a joyful one.
We're with First Lady Michelle. We wanna be like Miss Virgina when we grow up.
Michelle Obama stopped by the Ellen Show to deliver a special message to her husband, Barack. The couple have been married for 23 years, but still keep the romance flowing. It's inspiring to see how the Obamas can still have fun with each other.
The ladies of The Real got a special treat when they got to sit down with the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. When the ladies asked her if she or her husband got better grades in high school, Mrs. Obama didn't hesitate in her response. "He will say it's not even close."
Mrs. Obama, who attended Princeton and Harvard Law School, got excellent grades. As for her husband, "He was a bum. And it took him a second because he had to grow up a little bit."
Even though he "screwed around in high school" as Mrs. Obama says," President Obama found focus a little later. He transferred to Columbia after his second year at Occidental College. He also went on to study at Harvard Law School.
She appeared on the show to promote her Reach Higher initiative which encourages students to complete some form of post-secondary education.
