Michelle Obama’s DNC Speech, OMG!

How her speech made me do something

Photo by Nicola Styles on Unsplash

When Barack Obama said he was the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama, he wasn’t wrong.

Michelle Obama’s speech last night at the Democratic National Convention was exhilarating real talk. She cut through the noise and got to the heart of the matter.

Her speech was a compelling call to action, full of biting humor and grounded in hope.

These are key moments that show the power of her voice:

Her Theme Is Hope in Action: 

Michelle uses the theme of hope throughout her speech to unify and inspire. She starts by naming the “vibe” in the room:

“Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn’t it? Not just here in this arena… but spreading all across this country we love… a familiar feeling that’s been buried too deep for too long. You know what I’m talking about? It’s the contagious power of hope…America, hope is making a comeback!”  

Later in her speech, she implores the crowd to not only feel but to act, like when she pays tribute to Kamala Harris’ Mother: 

She’d often tell her daughter, “Don’t sit around and complain about things—do something!” 

Near the end of her speech, she weaves the hope theme in to make a final call to action: 

“We have the power to marry our hope with our action.”

She Is Unapologetically Herself:

Michelle is authentic. She quiets the crowd to get down to business. She expresses her hesitation to speak due to the recent passing of her mother and pays tribute to her. She wears a fashion-forward pantsuit like a character out of 3 Body Problem. She calls out Trump for his hateful and relentless personal attacks on her and Barack Obama, using her sharp wit:

For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us.

His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black.

Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those “Black jobs”?

She Shows the Stark Contrast:

Michelle shows the difference between Harris and Trump. She lays out Harris’ humble upbringing and her family’s sacrifices. She makes the case that Kamala is like most of Americans:

Her story is your story… it’s my story… it’s the story of the vast majority of Americans trying to build a better life.

She explains that Kamala Harris used her strong work ethic and integrity to become Vice President. She turns the false claims that Kamala is a “D.E.I” candidate against the likes of Trump:

She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward… we will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.

She Shares a Clear Call to Action:

Michelle implores the crowd to do something midway through her 20-minute speech and leads a powerful call and response with the audience to…” Do Something”. 

If we start feeling tired… if we start feeling that dread creeping back in… we’ve got to pick ourselves up, throw water on our faces, and do something!

She ends on a serious note, reminding the crowd that there is no guarantee:

“Let us work like our lives depend on it…

Let us keep moving our country forward and go higher — yes, higher — than we’ve ever gone before…”

You can watch and read her full speech transcript HERE

Do you have a favorite moment from her speech? Share in the comments!

Stay Calm & Speak On,

Jessica

P.S. As a Gen X woman born in Berkeley and raising my family in Oakland, I feel East Bay Proud of Kamala Harris! Michelle Obama’s speech motivated me to write this as a small step to do something.