Michelle has something to say
Michelle Obama says pandemic, racial unrest have taken a toll on her mental health
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Former First Lady Michelle Obama just took to the press to share the toll the pandemic and racial unrest in America have had on her mental health in a recent People interview.
“I needed to acknowledge what I was going through, because a lot of times we feel like we have to cover that part of ourselves up, that we always have to rise above and look as if we’re not paddling hard underneath the water,” Obama shared.
The former first lady specifically noted the 2020 George Floyd controversy. “We had the continued killing of black men at the hands of police,” Obama continued. “Just seeing the video of George Floyd, experiencing that eight minutes.”
Her concerns also addressed the impact of COVID-19. Obama added the mental health concerns were more difficult due to “being in the middle of a quarantine.” We
The quarantine included Obama’s two college-aged daughters returning home for online education. People noted, “Malia, now a Harvard University senior, and Sasha, a University of Michigan sophomore, were sent home to attend classes online when the pandemic shut down college campuses.”
The battles of 2020 also included a controversial presidential election. Obama sidestepped Trump political attacks, focusing on current efforts. “Barack and I are focused on developing the next generation of leaders through the Obama Foundation … so that each year we step further out of the spotlight and make room for them,” she shared.
Other future plans noted in the People interview include the construction of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, her new film Waffles + Mochi debuting on Netflix next week and a new young-reader edition of her memoir Becoming.
Obama continues to remain involved in politics through her voting rights reform involvement and the Obama Foundation. However, no mention was made of future political involvement as a candidate.
Instead, she spoke of looking ahead to retirement, a time when she and former president Barack Obama spend more time together. They enjoy life together in Hawaii, where the former first lady hope to never “experience winter again.”
