“Being your First Lady has been the greatest honour of my life” – @MichelleObama in tears as she ends final speech as First Lady pic.twitter.com/1tYNMuA5SK
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 6, 2017
On Friday, Michelle Obama delivered her final speech as FLOTUS, which arrives two weeks before Donald Trump takes office. As one can imagine, this was an emotional affair. Michelle expressed gratitude and hoped that she’d made America proud. She stated, “Being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life.” And she expressed her commitment to never ceasing to work for the American people (although she won’t be running for president). Close to the end of her speech, Michelle’s voice cracked as she held back tears, and one would be hard pressed not to join her:
“I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong. So don’t be afraid. You hear me, young people? Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourself with a good education. Then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of you boundless promise. Lead by example with hope; never fear.”
It must be acknowledged that this still would have been a sentimental speech if Hillary Clinton was taking office. However, there’s understandably a heightened effect with Trump’s arrival, for he’s aiming to quickly implement many measures that could threaten to erase the Obama legacy. Michelle and Barack will continue their work in a different capacity, and she’s urging the younger generations to work hard for the future, and never give up hope.
You can watch FLOTUS’ full speech below.