This year alone, she has given us so many reminders of all the ways Black girls and women are truly one of a kind. Whether she was keeping us laughing, encouraging our children or simply reminding us of why she’s continued to make us proud over the years, Mrs. Obama never ceased to leave an imprint on our hearts with her words. As we bring 2016 to a close, here’s a look back at 10 FLOTUS quotes that made us want to wear Black Girl Magic on our sleeves everywhere we went.
01
Michelle Obama’s 2016 Hair Moments
“Our motto is, when they go low, we go high.”
02
Sasha Obama
“I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, black young women playing with their dogs on the White House lawn.”
03
flotus hair
“Strong men, men who are truly role models, don’t need to put down women to make themselves feel powerful.”
04
Michelle Obama Wearing Black Designers
“Barack and I take that same approach to our jobs as president and first lady because we know that our words and actions matter, not just to our girls, but the children across this country. Kids who tell us, ‘I saw you on TV. I wrote a report on you for school.’ Kids like the little Black boy who looked up at my husband, his eyes wide with hope and he wondered, is my hair like yours?”
05
Michelle Obama’s 2016 Hair Moments
“I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without having a foundation and an education. Education is the key to freedom these days.”
06
Michelle Obama And Oprah
Oprah: “Did the President always have this much swag?” FLOTUS: “He was always very swagalicious throughout.”
07
Michelle Obama 2016
“You’re important in your own right. People need to value you because of who you are, because of your story. Because of your challenges. That’s what makes you unique. You know? You wanna be different, you wanna be special. The fact that you’ve been able to overcome challenges – and this is what I’ve always thought – that made me smarter. That made me better because I could overcome things that a lot of people who were in the same position never had to overcome.”
08
FLOTUS in Purple
“I specifically did not read other first ladies’ books because I didn’t want to be influenced by how they defined the role. I knew that I would have to define this role very uniquely and specifically to me and who I was. So, I came in thinking about who I wanted to be in this position and who I needed to be for my girls.”
09
Michelle Obama and Beyonce
Colbert: “If you got stuck on a dessert Island with one famous person, who’d you pick?” FLOTUS: “Beyonce.”
10
Fierce FLOTUS
“The men in my life do not talk about women like this, and I know that my family is not unusual. And to dismiss this as everyday locker room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere.”
