First Lady Takes Full Feminist Form at SXSW
As the Obamas prepare to leave the Oval Office in a few months, it seems like FLOTUS is amplifying her feminist beliefs.
First Lady Michelle Obama is poised to deliver some hot notes today as she graces the stage for her keynote panel at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. For her panel, she is bringing a squad filled with celebrity girl power including rapper Missy Elliott, songwriter Diane Warren, actress Sophia Bush, and the moderator Queen Latifah.
These women will come together and participate in “a dialogue on finding one’s passion, music and the importance of girls’ education everywhere,” as the event description states. First Lady Obama will be talking about the Obama Administration initiative Let Girls Learn, which was created to help 62 million teenage girls in completing their education across the globe. Halle and Chloe Bailey will be the event’s opening act. You might recognize them as the YouTube singing sisters who went viral after their video of “Pretty Hurts” and are now signed to Beyoncé’s management company, Parkwood Entertainment.
In order to raise money for Let Girls Learn, the First Lady gathered some of the best female artists including Zendaya, Kelly Clarkson, Missy Elliot, and more to sing a soundtrack for the charity fund called “This Is For My Girls.” All of the artists have waived their royalties and fees so all of the proceeds from the sales will be donated directly to the Let Girls Learn fund.
This is not the first time that Mrs. Obama has curated a girl power playlist. Remember?
Hours before her panel speech, we find out that Michelle Obama wrote a letter for Lena Dunham’s popular newsletter, Lenny Letters, which typically follows a feminist agenda. The letter corresponded with the release of the aforementioned single for the initiative Obama will speak about in detail later today.
The First Lady said that the “fundamental point that this issue isn’t just about access to resources like scholarships, transportation, and school bathrooms. It’s also very much about attitudes and beliefs: the belief that girls should be valued for their bodies, not their minds; the belief that girls simply aren’t worthy of an education, and their best chance in life is to be married off when they’re barely even teenagers and start having children of their own.”
The first lady’s keynote presentation, which is being co-presented by AOL Makers, will take place at 11 AM at the Austin Convention Center’s Ballroom D, however if you are not there, make sure you watch the live stream which starts at 10:30 AM local time at sxsw.com/live and AOL’s MAKERS site at www.makers.com.
Also, check out Michelle Obama’s speech on International Women’s Day:
(Photo Credit: YouTube)