These thoughts were written by Myla, one of our 2020 summer interns. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.
Former first lady, Michelle Obama has officially launched her podcast, The Michelle Obama Podcast, on Spotify. Unsurprisingly, her first guest is her husband, former President Barack Obama. The 49-minute show is full of laughs, memories, advice for the youth, and hope for the future generation. The focus of the podcast is on Americans’ relationships with their communities and their country. According to Michelle, “Sometimes this relationship might be a source of fulfillment or meaning or joy. Other times, it might provoke questions that we don’t quite know the answers to. What we’re really talking about is our place in this world. How we feel about it and what we can do with the power.”
The Obamas start the conversation by discussing their humble upbringings. Michelle grew up in a traditional household with a family of four. While Barack was raised by a single mother with help from his grandparents. Six years later, he moved to Indonesia with his mother and stepfather. Then he returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Although Michelle and Barack had different backgrounds, they seemed to have a few similarities. Their loved ones prioritized their needs and continuously made sacrifices for them. Often, the weight of providing love, support, and stability falls back on one parent. At times, making it more difficult for the entire family unit. Fortunately, Michelle and Barack were both raised by the communities around them. This stems back to the idea of “it takes a village to raise a child.” The Obamas’ backgrounds led them to value the importance of community.
Before becoming a politician, Barack worked as a community organizer in Chicago, Illinois. Interestingly enough, he was working in the same neighborhood that Michelle grew up in. A huge part of his job was to talk with the residents of the surrounding community. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he decided not to chase the money and the accolades that come along with being an alumnus from a prestigious institution. Barack believed in giving back to his community. He says, “I think I figured out that once I got to school that if I am chasing after my own success, that somehow, I am going to end up alone and unhappy.” Unfortunately, Michelle did fall into this trap of unhappiness while working at a corporate law firm. Her job felt lonely, isolating, and unfulfilling. As a result, she left the law firm and went into community service. The Obamas used their ivy league educations to give back to the community. They understand that real success does not come from materialistic items. Real success comes from helping others. The couple mentions how the youth are being taught to have a career, make a bunch of money, rarely sacrifice for others, and have it all. As a result, the younger generation is more likely to be more selfish and competitive. Of course, the Obamas cannot help but to connect this issue with the world of politics. Barack believes the issue starts to reflect itself in our politics. He says, “…At a certain point, you know, I am going to start thinking about politics in terms of how do I protect me…not how do I look after us.”
The couple shifts their conversation to their hope for the future generation. They praise the youth for protesting for change in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. The only thing that worries the Obamas about young people is their lack of faith in voting and politics. Many believe that the government doesn’t work for the people. “They take for granted all the things that a working government has done in the past,” Barack says. Many Americans only notice the government when things go wrong. “The danger for this generation is that they have become too deeply cynical in government. Not understanding that all government is us collectively making decisions together,” He states. This statement leads listeners back to the episode’s main focus— on our communities. Coming together to complete short-term goals (voting) can lead to long-term change (policy). Michelle closes out her podcast with positive thoughts and hope for the future. She encourages Americans, especially the youth, to turn their anger and disappointment into solutions. The most important message anyone can take away from this podcast is that change starts at home, with our families, and in our communities.
