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Go, Tell Michelle: African-American Women Write to the New First
Lady
Book Review by Kam Williams
“This extraordinary collection of letters to
Michelle Obama says a great deal about the lives, the hopes, prayers,
fears, and aspirations of African-American women today… We seem to
recognize her as one of our own. We are simultaneously proud of her,
seek to protect her, and to encourage her. And our expectations for her
are obviously very high…
So far, Michelle Obama is serving to help us see ourselves at our best.
We see validation of our choices and our values. Even the decision to
have her mother accompany the family to the White House resonates with
many African-American women who have lived in three-generation homes and
know the burden of having a working mother.
The women who have written letters in this collection hail from a broad
spectrum of backgrounds and are highly accomplished. So, too, is the
recipient. In Michelle Obama, we see reflected the face of inclusion,
the face of America as the proverbial land of opportunity, equality and
justice. ”
Excerpted from the Foreword by Dr. Muriel A. Howard,
President of Buffalo State College
 Over
the course of the presidential campaign, Michelle Obama was even more of
a target than her husband. Whether being quoted out of context as
unpatriotic, lampooned on the cover of a national magazine as a machine
gun-toting terrorist, having her college thesis combed for grammatical
errors or being the subject of a variety of unsubstantiated rumors, her
desperate enemies futilely predicted that she would be the cause of her
husband’s undoing.
Underreported by the mainstream media was the reaction of black women to
this mistreatment of Michelle. “We were incensed when she was accused of
being un-American,” admit Barbara A. Seals Nevergold and Peggy
Brooks-Bertram, co-editors of Go, Tell Michelle. To them, the New Yorker
cartoon was the final straw. “Black women everywhere felt the sting of
indignation, decried this caricature, and rushed to embrace this and
defend this beautiful, graceful, intelligent woman.”
And in the wake of the election, they immediately started soliciting
other African-American females, “Uncrowned Queens,” for open letters of
support for the incoming First Lady as a way “to send her a special
message, grounded in our common ancestry and in the belief that our
daughters have not only been inspired by her accomplishments but
empowered by her example.”
The upshot of those efforts is a quite evocative collage of heartfelt
correspondence in poetry and prose ranging from the intimate to the
light and lyrical. Among the hundred contributors are not only
professors and professional writers but accomplished women from all over
the U.S., Africa and the Caribbean, and representing virtually every
walk of life, including teachers, students, a psychiatrist, a nurse, a
violinist, a vocalist, an entrepreneur, a dancer, a genealogist, a
social worker, a consultant and a country club president, to name a few.
I was particularly moved by the simplicity of the entry by Shirley
Hanshaw of Mississippi who shares her favorite recipe for Pecan Pie. “I
know that you and Barack are not Southern,” she starts, “nevertheless, I
thought you might enjoy this dessert. It is always a hit wherever I take
it.” Shirley goes on to let Michelle know that “I have been praying for
the safety of your husband and your entire family ever since his
candidacy [and] I will continue to pray that God will surround all of
you with a hedge of protection.”
An impressive compendium of eloquent messages which together paint a
touching tapestry reflecting the depth of sisters’ emotional investment
in our new First Lady.
From the Back Cover
"You are me. When I look at you, I see me. I see the young African
American woman who, through good family values, strong roots, hard work,
and perseverance, has come into her own ... Though your journey may not
be easy in the coming days, weeks, months, or years, think of us to ease
your burden and pain. Think of those who you inspire. Think of those who
you have given hope to. Think of those whom you have filled with pride.
Think of your sister ... Think of your favorite cousin. Think of your
mother. Think of me. We are the same."
"To you Michelle I take off my African woman hat from Cameroon, my
motherland. You have given us African women the courage and the hope to
move on and up. You keep your head high and hold your husband close to
your heart. Keep praying my sister, you are the best. You have lived the
dream of every ebony woman. Ride on sister, we are with you."
"You are the song, you are the proverb, and you are the symbol of human
dignity."
"When you and your family go to the spot under the shadow of the Lincoln
Memorial, where Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of
the United States, you will take with you our history of dreams
deferred; however, you will also take with you our prayers and hopes for
an America that is ready to build and dream anew."
"Thank you for your courage to say yes, to step from behind your private
veil into the public eye, to step forward with the grace of boldness, to
carry a message that `Hope is a wise decision' and also teaching the
importance of learning to prepare oneself because with hope, things can
change. I sat next to my daughter, praying that all women would tell
this message to themselves, their daughters and sisters, nieces and
neighbors, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, friends and sisterfriends,
strangers and mates. But most of all, I thank you from the bottom of my
heart to remind me to keep being hopeful so I can keep flapping my wings
and not be afraid to fly."
"What I really want to say is thank you for existing and remaining
visually the kind of woman I've always wanted to be. I'd given up hope.
I'd given up hope that Black men could affectionately and passionately
adore a woman publicly the way that your old man adores you. I'd given
up hope that I'd get to keep my booty and succeed in the commercial
production world of NYC. I honestly didn't believe I'd be able to be
intelligent and sexy at the same time and be taken seriously ... You two
have revolutionized what I believe to be possible in Black life. Black,
young, sexy, beautiful, brilliant, and powerful. How marvelous."
"We are one woman, blessed to be born Black in America ... I rejoice for
every little girl, every teenager, young adult and yes even every
senior, who like me, can look at you and see herself. I rejoice for the
mothers who loved their children as much as you and I do, yet could not
protect them."
"Thank you for making me reconsider bringing my Black babies into this
world."
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Lloyd
Kam Williams 