Michelle Obama has recently explained why the movie Descendant meant so much to her.
On Tuesday, the former First Lady took to Instagram and posted a slew of photos of her grandparents along with a lengthy, heartfelt caption about slavery.
While calling herself the descendant of slaves, the author of Becoming wrote, “I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by relatives—grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins, and more—with stories to tell and a willingness to share them. Over the years, through these conversations, I learned that I was the descendant of slaves—my grandfather’s grandmother lived her life in bondage.”
Michelle pointed out that the “slavery” was a part of her family’s story, which was “painful and sobering”.
“Like many African Americans, reflecting on this dark part of our history is never comfortable. And it still opens up wounds that many of us still aren’t ready to deal with just yet,” remarked the 58-year-old.
However, she’s grateful for the chance to hear about her ancestors mainly because “it helped me develop a greater sense of self and gave me motivation to keep going, work my hardest, and be the best that I could be”.
While discussing about the Netflix’s movie, the author of The Light We Carry explained, “It comes from our production company, HigherGroundMedia, and it tells the story of the descendants of the survivors of the Clotilda, which is believed to be the last ship that carried enslaved Africans to the United States.”
“To me, the film is about navigating the delicate parts of our history—and the power that comes from learning about the people who came before you. It’s about reclaiming our stories—and owning them for ourselves,” she asserted.
In the end, Michelle encouraged her followers and fans to share their thoughts on ancestry. She also initiated the Descendant Challenge with the hashtag #DescendantChallenge where she asked fans to share their photo and family history.