(ThySistas.com) Amongst ourselves as women we must resolve to talk to our little girls about what they saw happen January 20, 2017. We must be honest with them about what we, as women, should hold in high regard. For the past eight years our little girls had a solid example of intelligence, grace, poise and fashion in Former First Lady Michelle Obama. The previous administration drew the attention of our young people. Black girls were able to draw strength, and hope from looking at the First Lady of this country.
She was a shining example of what could be achieved through hard work, and dedication. Our girls realized, no matter where you come from, if you want to go to an Ivy League University it can be done. If you desire a spouse, and family, that is upstanding it can be done. She encouraged our young girls to set high standards, and make their education a priority. The world was watching…most important our daughters were watching.
The current First Lady is a bit hard to swallow. It’s not because she is mean or unfortunate. However, we cannot set her as an example to our young women; it is important to be honest about this reality. The fashion industry is a respectable profession, and if it’s your passion by all means pursue it with vigor. With that being said the current First Lady of the United Stated is a former fashion model that looks both unhappy and ill matched with her husband. It looks like she sacrificed happiness for where she is currently standing, and how she is living.
Many of us would hope this is not the case, but our girls don’t see anything otherwise. When they go to the White House website…under First Lady fashion is there, but intelligence based on scholarly achievement is not. This is not even the case for the current Second Lady. We are entering into a new era that may not be the best for the progression of women. The current President pushed, and applauded the academic and business endeavors of his daughter…while not necessarily doing the same for his wife.
It is paramount that we encourage our daughters to understand that what they see happening right now is not what they ought to set for their standard. They must keep progressing forward. This may seem like a harsh position, but as mothers our goal is to encourage our children to achieve all they can to position themselves to have the best life they can. When we look at the White House many feel that a certain standard to represent this country has disappeared and it is happening right before the eyes of the up and coming generation. We must be vigilant about the examples that our young girls attach themselves to.
Some of our daughters saw many possibilities in our Former First Lady…they must know it’s okay to keep her example before them. We must introduce our daughters to the lives of other black women that are intelligent with extraordinary fashion sense. They need to see more black women with the total package and know this is possible for them. Keeping the eyes of the daughters of our community on us, and achievement, is our charge. We must continue to accept the challenge.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.