INNOCENCE INTERRUPTED
WORDS: N. ALI EARLY

Over the course of the next four years, Malia (10) and Sasha (7) Obama will open their own doors. As members of the prestigious Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C., they will be walking examples of what it means to be African American – whether they like it or not. They’ll be exceptions and they’ll be spokespeople just the same. They’ll represent an entire race before they hit puberty fully and they’ll be just fine.

All things considered, one would think Malia and Sasha Obama will adjust in good time as their father settles in as the leader of the United States of America. They’re obviously the products of a good, wholesome, forward thinking family. Their mother is a devout supporter of the most powerful man in the country and they’ve watched their unflappable father repel the best the Republicans had to offer, without so much as a bead of sweat falling from his brow.

They’ll walk in normal and hopefully, they will stay the course as long as the people of America believe in Change.

Perhaps the most important element in the Malia and Sasha element is Michelle Obama. She is easily among the most vocal First Lady’s this country has ever seen. She’s been called militant and even an “angry Black woman,” but what she truly is, is Barack’s ‘rock.’ As Barack Obama left his campaign to bury his loving grandmother, it was Michelle Obama who took to the podium. In so doing, she helped deliver his message, poignantly and eloquently as he would have so that he would not lose the momentum he fought so hard to gain. She too has a presence that the American people have come to love… and hate.

That’s the beauty of a healthy relationship and the American people are now in a relationship with the Obamas. Like it, love it or hate it, Michelle Obama is America’s First Lady and equally important, the ‘woman’ of her house and she will undoubtedly ensure her children act accordingly.

On Thursday, January 15, 2009, just five days prior to his official induction as the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama wrote a letter to his daughters. In it, Obama talked about the ‘journey’ and how proud he was of what had come to pass. Any man who’d recently accomplished what he has would likely be proud of such an achievement, but Obama’s pride was anything but self-absorbed.

“I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours,” the letter read. “In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.”

It’s easy to wonder why Obama would write a personal letter to his children and then share it with the world, but pondering why he shouldn’t, is a gesture we should truly behold. The reality is, when Barack speaks to his desires for Malia and Sasha, he is speaking to what he desires for all children, regardless of race, creed, religion, sex, etc. In a strange way of sorts, it works to deliver them from the insanity that comes with being the President’s daughters, the ultimate goal being to take on a normal existence.

“I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them,” he continued. “I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.”

The challenges the Obama girls will face along the way will be daunting to say the least. Let’s face it, in other countries and in some eyes of America, they’ll be looked at as royalty. They’ll continue to be exposed to the best education this country has to offer (even after President Obama’s post). They’ll be pampered with meals and services most of us can only imagine and it will become routine. On the flip side they will be forced, in part by their parents, but most importantly themselves, to not allow luxury to take over their innocent souls. In so doing, they will undoubtedly discover all the world has to offer.

“I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer,” he emphasized. “And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.”

*This article was originally crafted for The Atlanta Voice.