Race, the Carter Comments & President Obama: Melissa Harris -Lacewell represents

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Melissa Harris-Lacewell on the birthers

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Defending Michelle Obama's Choice To Be Mom-In-Chief: A Black Libertarian Feminist Perspective

This is from Shay, the owner/operator of Booker Rising

Defending Michelle Obama's Choice To Be Mom-In-Chief: A Black Libertarian Feminist Perspective

No woman should be authorised to stay at home to raise her children. Society should be totally different. Women should not have that choice, precisely because if there is such a choice, too many women will make that one. — Simone de Beauvoir, French feminist in response to American feminist Betty Friedan's proposal for wages for housework.

Many feminists have long been upset with U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama’s self-described “Mom-In-Chief” moniker and her assertion that motherhood is her primary role. A recent debate that began on Sunday between black leftist feminist professor Melissa Harris-Lacewell and white liberal feminist journalist Bonnie Erbe illustrates this debate. Professor Harris-Lacewell argues that Mrs. Obama is changing racial images of what it means to be a mother (even though she has some concerns about Mrs. Obama's choices and argues that her First Lady agenda is not "progressive" enough). Ms. Erbe accuses the First Lady of "caving in" to politics and stereotypes when she should be out there with an independent career while in the White House.

Let me add my black libertarian feminist perspective here, especially since I have interacted with two of the three ladies that figure into this debate. As Booker Rising readers know, Mrs. Obama is the former boss of a couple of college friends of mine so I met her a long time ago. I've seen her in a work setting, I've seen her in a relaxed setting (i.e., a get-together at one of my friends' homes). I disagree with most of Mrs. Obama's politics, but I like her as a person. I have collaborated with Ms. Erbe on work & family issues, in my past capacity as a communications director for a national non-profit. I also like Ms. Erbe as a person, even though we disagree on most policy positions. However, she is dead wrong on this issue. Ms. Erbe is not racist, but my first thought reading her piece was: “We are in the 21st century, right? Michelle Obama ain’t on Johnson Plantation required to go to the cotton fields, right? She does own herself, right?”

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Melissa Harris-Lacewell on President Obama's First 100 Days

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Patricia J. Williams and Melissa Harris-Lacewell on the Obama Inauguration

Hat tip: Prometheus 6


This is from Bill Moyers. This is an excellent conversation with these women. I couldn't find a way to embed it, so go HERE to watch this conversation.