CHICAGO: The second night of the Democratic National Convention was full of special cultural moments. From Patti LaBelle singing “You Are My Friend” during the In Memoriam portion of the program to Lil Jon’s surprise appearance for their convention roll call vote, night two felt lighter and more vibrant than the evening before.
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Barack’s speech was delivered with his signature charm and cool, but Michelle seemingly had more fire in her belly when she graced the stage right before him. While her husband smoothly addressed Trump’s political strategies, Michelle was more sharp-tongued in describing the racist attacks the couple suffered at the hands of Trump. Throughout the duration of Barack’s presidency, he constantly questioned Barack’s citizenship.
“For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us,” Michelle said. “See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black.”
“I want to know — I want to know — who’s going to tell him, who’s going to tell him, that the job he is currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?”
For Los Angeles creator Blair Imani, 30, Michelle’s resilience after mourning the loss of her mother struck a nerve for her personally. “I was so moved and it resonated so much because I’m here in Chicago following the passing of my grandmother. When she turned 18, she did not have the ability to vote,” Imani told The Root.
“She grew up in the deep south—Little Rock, Arkansas—and her family had moved to Los Angeles because of racial violence. With Michelle Obama’s speech last night, we are very reminded as a Black community of the strides we have made in this country but also the promises left unfulfilled. I feel this sense of duty to [my grandmother’s] legacy and to what she and her generation fought for.”
Author A.R. Shaw, 43, came from Atlanta to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention and the stoic resolve of the Obamas. “President Barack Obama took an aspirational approach. He wanted people to keep their heads to the sky and really think about what’s next and think about the future without people pulled down by some of the negativity that’s coming from the Trump campaign,” Shaw explained.
“His approach was a bit different than Michelle’s in the sense that he didn’t take the gloves off like Michelle did...he kind of wanted to encourage people to keep moving forward prior to Election Day 2024. However, Michelle’s speech will go down as one of the most historic speeches in DNC history.” Vice President Kamala Harris also plans on making history as the first Black and South Asian woman to become president of the United States.
Last month, publicist Brandy Star Merriweather, 25, went viral for her enthusiasm during a Harris campaign rally in Atlanta last month. Now, the media personality—who hails from South Bend, Indiana—told The Root her support for Harris brought her all the way to Chicago but the Obamas nearly left her speechless.
“Michelle and Barack Obama were so real. I was super grateful to have been in the room as one of the first in the inaugural content creator program for the DNC...it was already surreal but then came the Obamas. A lot of the things they were saying were directives to the Democrats, ” Merriweather stated.
“Especially about memes and how people can easily get distracted with social media so now politicians are focused on garnering attention over working. As much as Barack was talking about Trump, he was also talking about the Democratic Party being stronger and staying focused and that to me was so powerful. As a Gen Zer, I don’t want my generation to get distracted and lost in the meme of it all.”
Another person present for the Obamas at the DNC was Mother Jones video correspondent Garrison Hayes, 34, who stated that just being in the arena to hear them speak was one of the most special moments for him so far. “The room was on fire, people were excited and it also felt really good to see Michelle Obama finally have a moment to get her lick back,” Hayes pointed out to The Root.
“She is, in so many ways, the quintessential vision of what a woman should be. She’s married and supported her husband, she’s raised two beautiful daughters, she’s been incredibly successful, she’s classy, she’s intelligent. And yet, for so long, the enemies of Black women have painted her as something that she just isn’t and she’s taken it. It really felt great to sit there and listen to her finally get a few licks in for herself—and the crowd absolutely loved it.”
The esteemed couple have a special connection to Chicago since it is where Michelle is from. It’s also where the pair met after Barack relocated to the city in 1985. Blogger and influencer Jenny LeFlore, 43, is a Chicago native and was in the building when the pair gave their memorable addresses.
According to LeFlore, they will always be her forever POTUS and FLOTUS. “With Michelle Obama—there was a triple layer of pride for me: her being a girl from the South Side of Chicago, a Black woman and a wife there that was simply speaking her truth,” she remarked.
“She connected so much with the audience because Michelle wants what’s best for our country but she doesn’t have an agenda. She’s not a politician and it was evident through her frank speaking, her complete transparency...even speaking on the recent passing of her mother. There was an electricity amongst the crowd that made it unable for us to sit in our seats—especially when she talked about [Trump] wanting one of those Black jobs.”
LeFlore expounded on that moment and emphasized how unity really is a running theme at the convention. “We were leaping out of our seats in support of her. We just wanted to support her—we’re her hometown, it’s her first time being home since her mom has passed and we wanted to show her [at the DNC] that she was not alone.”
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