May 13 2009
White House Poetry Slam
C-SPAN didn’t cover this, so far as I’m aware – so if anyone has more video on this – please share!
May 12 2009
POLITICO 44: The Obama Presidency. Minute by Minute
POLITICO 44: The Obama Presidency. Minute by Minute 5-12-2009.
Quoted in its entirety:
May 12, 2009 – 05:25PM
Even down to the arrangement of the furniture, tonight’s poetry jam in the East Room is all about dialogue, according to a White House aide.
The room will be set up, not in rows of chairs or tables, but with ottomans, tall tables for people to stand around and chat, and other seating arrangements that encourage guests to talk and get to know each other.
“It’s a very important part of the Obama’s philosophy,” said the aide, who described the event as “a really organic group setting.”
The president and first lady will each make brief remarks at the event, which will feature light appetizers and drinks. The idea is to hopefully inspire young and old alike with a mix of successful artists – James Earl Jones – and up-and-coming performers.
“Hopefully the people who watch this online will get a good feeling from it,” the aide said. – Carol E. Lee (5:25 p.m.)
Seriously? The Presidential Poetry Jam. I hope this is on C-Span…
QT
Apr 04 2009
Europe melts for Michelle – Nia-Malika Henderson and Jonathan Martin – POLITICO.com
Europe melts for Michelle – Nia-Malika Henderson and Jonathan Martin – POLITICO.com.
Apologies to Nia-Malika Henderson and Jonathan Martin for reporting from the bottom of their article instead of from the top – but for me this part is the heart of the matter:
She gave the same up-from-the-South-Side speech she often gives at home, yet her aides said she recognized what a moment it was in history, for her to be on the world stage as the first African-American first lady.
Her voice broke with emotion, and her aides said that she saw herself in the faces of the students. Afterward, she practically dove into the crowd, kneeling at the edge of the stage to dole out hugs. “People identify with her, even here, she is seen as a woman of the people,” said Crystal Fleming, who is affiliated with the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris. “The French magazine Le Point dubbed her ‘the princess of the people,’ which is pretty impressive when you think about it. She’s an African American woman.”
Fleming said that for non-Americans, Michelle Obama, even more so than her husband, “incarnates how far African-Americans have come, she’s the descendant of slaves, Barack is not, and that is really a source of inspiration that she is in the White House. She is seen as a symbol of progress and source of pride.”
