Former First Lady Lady Michelle Obama has been named one of Time’s 100 influential people of 2019. To honor her Beyonce penned an open essay which was published with the list.
Beyoncé begins by recalling meeting Obama on the eve of Barack Obama’s first inauguration. She then goes on to say that she was naturally drawn to Obama.
“It was something that came naturally, because of how she carried herself. Because she resembled us and was moving in spaces where, as black Americans, we weren’t exactly meant to be, she seemed so powerful.”
Beyoncé then goes on to say that our Forever First Lady reminds her of the women figures who have been vital in her life. Beyonce also praised the author of Becoming for using her influence to get things done and inspire hope and change.
The way she looked, walked and spoke, in that warm but authoritative tone, we saw our mothers and sisters,” the essay continues. “She was strong and ambitious and spoke her mind without sacrificing honesty or empathy. That takes a lot of courage and discipline.” Beyoncé applauds the many ways in which Obama has used her platform to make concrete change and improve the world around her, adding that Obama has been a “beacon of hope” for her and her husband Jay-Z’s three children, Blue Ivy, Rumi, and Sir.
