Former first lady of the United States Michelle Obama has stepped forth laying emphasis on the significance of self-examination in order to completely eradicate racism.
Obama’s statement comes in the midst of the protests against racial violence and police brutality that emerged across America in the aftermath of George Floyd’s tragic death.
The 56-year-old penned a note on Instagram, saying she felt ‘pained’ and ‘exhausted’.
“Like so many of you, I’m pained by these recent tragedies. And I’m exhausted by a heartbreak that never seems to stop.”
“Right now it’s George, Breonna, and Ahmaud. Before that it was Eric, Sandra, and Michael. It just goes on, and on, and on. Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can’t just be on people of color to deal with it,” she said.
“It’s up to all of us—Black, white, everyone—no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out.”
“It starts with self-examination and listening to those whose lives are different from our own. It ends with justice, compassion, and empathy that manifests in our lives and on our streets.”
She ended her note sending prayers of strength for those who lost their loved ones amid the longstanding fight against racism in America.