Designer Alert: Michelle Obama Celebrates More Than a Great Outfit
EmailABC News’ Sarah Tobianski reports:
First lady Michelle Obama carried the president’s commitment to higher-quality education to an awards ceremony for prominent designers this afternoon, saying that design, though rooted in inspiration, is grounded in the basic principles of math and science.
“That future and our ability to solve the great challenges of our time will depend on how we educate and engage the current generation,” Mrs. Obama said just before President Obama unveiled the Race to the Top program honoring innovative schools. “That’s why the president has made such a strong commitment to ensuring access to high-quality education for all children, particularly in math and science."
The National Design Awards called the Oscars of the design world by a Smithsonian spokeswoman, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a series of seminars on interior, product, communication, landscape, and architecture design held at Smithsonian museums throughout Washington.
Mrs. Obama said these events are crucial for children living in the nation’s capitol because being in the presence of great art and beauty adds to their learning and development.
“These kids who are living just six inches away from power and prestige and fortune and fame,” Mrs. Obama said. “We want those kids to know that they belong here, too. We want them to know they belong here in the White House, and in the museums and laboratories all over this country.”
Bill Moggridge, who helped design the first laptop computer, was the day’s big honoree, receiving the Lifetime Achievement award. Mrs. Obama referenced her own children in his honor.
“What would we do without our laptops?” Mrs. Obama asked to a chorus of laughter. “My kids would die. They wouldn’t make it through the summer.”
FLOTUS fashion watch: Mrs. Obama didn’t wear a design by honoree Fransico Costa for Calvin Klein, instead opting for a canary yellow Michael Kors ensemble – a capped sleeved jacket and matching skirt.
– Sarah Tobianski
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I just love First Lady Obama. I believe she has one of the strongest connections with the American public since Jacqueline Kennedy. She has inspired so many women to pursue their own dreams.
Posted by: LillianB | July 24, 2009, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
Yep she looks great in her $6000 purse and $750 sneakers
The elite eat while the others go hungry
Posted by: Obamas media network | July 24, 2009, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
She’s a peach.
“Barack stood up that day,” talking about a visit to Chicago neighborhoods, “and spoke words that have stayed with me ever since. He talked about “The world as it is” and “The world as it should be…”
And, “All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won’t do – that we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be.”
Excerpt from Chapter Two of Saul Alinsky’s book, Rules for Radicals:
“The means-and-ends moralists, constantly obsessed with the ethics of the means used by the Have-Nots against the Haves, should search themselves as to their real political position.
In fact, they are passive – but real – allies of the Haves… The most unethical of all means is the non-use of any means…
The standards of judgment must be rooted in the whys and wherefores of life as it is lived, the world as it is, not our wished-for fantasy of the world as it should be.”
Sounds familiar.
“For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country.”
Posted by: Hmmm... | July 24, 2009, 3:10 pm 3:10 pm
“The soft bigotry of low expectations”
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As far as setting the bar low, that was accomplished by the example of the last administration.
Posted by: danita | July 24, 2009, 3:40 pm 3:40 pm
President Bush did say:
“…It requires a mindset that all children can learn, and no child should be left behind.
It does not matter where they live, or how much their parents earn.
It does not matter if they grow up in foster care or a two-parent family.
These circumstances are challenges, but they are not excuses.
I believe that every child can learn the basic skills on which the rest of their life depends.
Some say it is unfair to hold disadvantaged children to rigorous
standards.
I say it is discrimination to require anything less – the soft bigotry of low expectations.
Some say that schools can’t be
expected to teach, because there are too many broken families, too
many immigrants, too much diversity.
I say that pigment and poverty need not determine performance.
That myth is disproved by good schools every day.
Excuse-making must end before learning can begin…”
Posted by: WhereWasThePress? | July 24, 2009, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
“The president has made . . . a strong commitment to ensuring access to high-quality education for all children, particularly in math and science.”
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I hope this comes to fruition; it does seem like math and science are going to be essential for progress and problem solving on the planet in the upcoming decades.
Posted by: danita | July 24, 2009, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
I just love First Lady Obama. I believe she has one of the strongest connections with the American public since Jacqueline Kennedy. She has inspired so many women to pursue their own dreams.
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lmao! Pfft!!
Posted by: Sunnyr | July 24, 2009, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm
Would this be the same “commitment to education” that led obumbles to talk erroneously about “Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur”?
Nice grasp of history there, smartest president ever. Where again are you claiming you got educated?
Posted by: 2Brixshy | July 24, 2009, 8:53 pm 8:53 pm
“As far as setting the bar low, that was accomplished by the example of the last administration.”
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But somehow the Obamas’ managed to crawl underneath it.
Amazing.
Posted by: ceeLeelee | July 24, 2009, 9:19 pm 9:19 pm
to LillianB….our present First Lady has the strongest connections with the American public. since Jacqueline Kennedy….yeah……only in your fantasy land!!!!!
Posted by: sanjose56 | July 24, 2009, 9:44 pm 9:44 pm
I just love First Lady Obama. I believe she has one of the strongest connections with the American public since Jacqueline Kennedy. She has inspired so many women to pursue their own dreams.
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I Agree. I think she’s very well liked.
Posted by: danita | July 25, 2009, 3:41 am 3:41 am
LillianB,
Yeah..right..
What kind of dream? Of course, everybody wants to be a first Lady.
Look at her now, she has lots of make over on her face, hairstyling, outfit.
Gee… but comparing her to Jackie??
ZEROOOOO
Posted by: catleya | July 25, 2009, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
Re: “but comparing her to Jackie??”
More like Jack in the Box.
Posted by: tgifriday | July 25, 2009, 3:45 pm 3:45 pm
This woman is so out of touch with the real people in America! She’s an embarrassment to our great country!
Posted by: maniteu | July 25, 2009, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
I was always more inspired by Laura Bush, myself. And by Condoleeza Rice. And by Olympia Snowe.
Jill Biden is more inspiring to me. She pursued a PhD, developed a career in teaching at the college level, and still travels as a good-will ambassador for our country. She does so in a more low-key manner than Michelle. Then again, she is the Second Lady, not the First, so that makes sense.
Michelle Obama is not the only woman in Washington who can inspire women. And what dream would one pursue to be like Michelle? First Lady? Where you are an extension of your more powerful spouse? Sounds relatively limiting as a dream.
Posted by: GetReal | July 26, 2009, 10:48 am 10:48 am
WOW! People I sense so much hate. Where is the Christian love that this great country was founded upon as you love to say? Is it just for one group of people? I believe Bush was a sorry President, I never went after Laura Bush. I always thought she was the best thing about G.W. But you know we can’t, we won’t all agree on everything. So let me say it like this, I am proud of Michelle Obama.
Posted by: A. Darton | July 27, 2009, 7:22 am 7:22 am
I’m so sick of always bringing up this, for the first time in my adult life, I’m proud of my country. If you can get pass all the hate, think for one minute. I don’t know what Mrs. Obama meant, but I can tell you what I mean.My Great- Grandmother, Mother, and other Blacks have told me what life for Blacks were like. The way these people were treated, tell me what is it that they had to be proud of? When you were treated less than human. Get real people. When a kid could be taken out of his bed late at night, beaten, and kill, just because he whistle at a white woman.A kid. Black men could go fight for their country, come home and still treated like second class people. I don’t have to give a list of the way Blacks were treated in this country, this God fearing country. I remember Cindy McCain saying, I always been proud of my country. I wish I could have told her, course she has, she has always been white.
Posted by: Jenna | July 27, 2009, 7:53 am 7:53 am