After a chaotic day, Michelle Obama and the other prime time speakers at the Democratic National Convention seemed to bring unity to a very raucous crowd on Monday night. Despite protests in the name of Bernie Sanders and soon-to-be former DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz getting booed off stage, the entire night felt different when First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama spoke to the crowd.
Obama spoke about how her daughters have been raised in the world of politics, saying, “…we [the President and First Lady] insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country…we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. Our motto is, when they go low, we go high.”
She argued that while the opposition in this election tends to go for insults and inflammatory remarks that marginalize certain groups, the right thing to do is not to succumb to their ways and to remain strong.
This part of the speech drew loud cheering from the crowd, but it wasn’t even the best part of her time on stage.
Alluding to what she has said before at commencement speeches, Michelle Obama reiterated the importance of inclusiveness and acceptance in America and how it helps our children believe they can do anything—a kind of cliched idea that became more inspiring than ever through her words.
“That is the story of this country…The story of generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation, who kept on striving, and hoping, and doing what needed to be done,” Obama said. “So that today, I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters — two beautiful intelligent black young women — play with the dog on the White House lawn.”
Obama even teared up a little as she said, “And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all of our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.”
The First Lady said that both Clinton and Vice Presidential pick Tim Kaine are the right choice for America—public servants who will work to make the world a better, more inclusive place for the generations to come.
“You see, Hillary understands that the presidency is about one thing and one thing only. It is about leaving something better for our kids…And as my daughters set out on the world, I want a leader who is worthy of that truth, a leader worthy of my girls’ promise and all of our kids’ promise,” Obama said.
The full transcript of the First Lady’s DNC speech can be read here.