I see me in you: Role models and girls of color
Watching those tearful and excited girls at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language College in Islington mob First Lady Michelle Obama reminded me about the dearth of female role models for many girls of color. It’s not that women of color aren’t doing great and noteworthy things. We are. We are. It’s just that the American gender hierarchy means women’s accomplishments are often overlooked and go sadly unfeted. And racial hierarchy means the accomplishments of women of color suffer most of all. I can’t be sure, but looking at those young girls in London react to Michelle Obama, I am thinking things are much the same in many other societies.
This is not good news for our girls.
When you set your mind to do a great thing, it is helpful to see that someone else like you has done it before. Yes, there are racial and gender trailblazers. Success is not impossible without role models and examples, but it sure as hell is a lot easier. And seeing a successful woman of color, hearing how she has navigated life, offers both a road map to achievement and a shot of pride in racial identity.
So, imagine how it felt to get a visit from an American First Lady—a black American first lady–for this girls-only, inner-city school where 20 percent of students are the children of refugees or asylum seekers, speak a total of 55 different languages and 92 percent of whom are from a black or minority background.
Both Nuria and Shereka closely followed the US presidential election and said that, even before her visit, Michelle Obama had inspired them both, girls born thousands of miles away, personally.
“You can relate to her story. She said, ‘I’m a working-class girl.’ And more or less all of us are working-class. She made it. And it made me think: if she can do it, so can I.” Read more…
President Obama’s better half gave of shot of “Yes we can” to the girls at Islington. And all girls need that.
“Big girls” too. I am in my late 30s, but seeing Michelle Obama in the public eye–an educated, professional black woman, who lived in the same Hyde Park, Chicago, neighborhood were I once lived, and admits to being a young smarty pants (like me!)–makes me giddy. If Michelle hugged me, I do believe I would shriek in excitement, too.
Oh, I wish we could bottle what those girls must have been feeling last week when they received their surprise visit. Of course, we can’t. So…
In the face of a race and gender-biased culture, and one more fascinated with a Lindsey, Britney, Miley version of young womanhood, than the real lives of girls and women of any race, how do we introduce good, female role models into our children’s lives?
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of 
Jennifer wrote:
Thank you for posting this clip about Michelle Obama–I literally had tears in my eyes seeing the reaction of the girls–and seeing Michelle Obama’s reaction to THEIR reaction of her (mirrors upon mirrors of positive reinforcement).
And that’s what we want, right? We want mirrors upon mirrors of positive reinforcement.
How to get this for young girls? Especially non-white girls? We know that black Barbies and Asian barbies are not the same as just plain “Barbie” — blond, white and iconic. But instead of just introducing the “non-white” Barbie into our kids lives (and I’m not saying you shouldn’t, I’m just saying that most kids recognize that one is deemed the “real” thing by society and the others are the off-shoots–like poor Skipper–the sidekick rather than the main attraction), lets change the game and show young girls what amazing things young women of color are doing– as athletes (Maya Moore–lead scorer for UConn’s womens basketball team), as singers (Alica Keys–who is active politically), and as writers (there are a TON of great female writers of color, especially for younger girls/teens–Faith Ringgold has wonderful picture books and Lois-Ann Yamanaka has a young adult novel that deals pretty candidly with issues of body image, peer pressure, and sexuality).
Can any of the women I’ve mentioned compete against the forces/likes of Brittany & Miley? Uncertain–but seems like you have to start somewhere. Providing alternate sources/counternarratives/histories for young girls of color that shows them how they fit into American history/culture seems really important–not just during March but everyday. I remember first encountering Maxine Hong Kingston in my Asian American studies class Freshman year and being blown away because I didn’t know that Chinese American women wrote books that would be assigned in a classroom–it was the first time I saw myself reflected back in a way that I could identify with–and that experience was so powerful it shaped the rest of my professional career.
Posted 07 Apr 2009 at 10:10 am ¶
Rita wrote:
I’m crying like a schoolgirl, myself. I’m a white girl, but Michelle is such an inspiration and role model to me as well. I do wish the media would quit focusing on her looks and her wardrobe so much, as if they’re trying to shoehorn her back into a conventionally feminine role. But Michelle has the strength not to let them stop her. She is intelligent, thoughtful, and powerful. I think she’s going to be one of the greatest First Ladies we have ever had, and she’s going to touch the lives of so many girls (and boys) with her example.
Posted 08 Apr 2009 at 9:44 am ¶