Michelle Obama ‘worries’ for her daughters’ safety while driving due to the color of their skin
Thomas McDonald
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Michelle Obama said she understands the fear that many black parents feel when their kids ‘get a license’ because of possible ‘assumptions’ someone might make about them based on the color of their skin.
“Many of us still live in fear as we go to the grocery store, or walking our dogs, or allowing our children to get a license,” Obama said in an interview on “CBS This Morning,” on the notion that there is widespread fear among African Americans to go about their daily lives.
Anchor Gayle King then asked the former First Lady if her daughters were driving yet.
“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. I, like so many parents of black kids, have to — the innocent act of getting a license puts fear in our hearts,” she answered.
Obama also commented on the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd after he held his knee on Floyds neck until he was pronounced dead.
“We know that while we’re all breathing a sigh of relief over the verdict, there’s still work to be done. And so we, we can’t sort of say, ‘Great. That happened. Let’s move on,'” Obama said. “I know that people in the Black community don’t feel that way because many of us still live in fear.”
Since leaving office, the Obamas continued to live in D.C while their daughters finished school. They purchased an $8.1 million home in a prestigious neighborhood called Kalorama. The same area where former first daughter Ivanka Trump owns a home. In 2017, they signed a book deal for over $60 million for their memoirs. A deal with Netflix and the creation of a production company called Higher Ground spawned three documentaries: “American Factory,” which won an Oscar, “Becoming,” and “Crip Camp.” The couple’s total net worth is anywhere between $70 million and $200 million, according to MSN Money.