Tell us what you think about the cover
Rocking what can only be described as a “Nairobi blue” with a style nod to Lupita Nyong’o, First Lady Michelle Obama graces the cover of the August issue of ESSENCE Magazine.
The exclusive interview comes just in time for back to school season whereby FLOTUS dishes on her parenting techniques and the secrets to raising smart, grounded and confident children.
“I know I tell my kids all the time that they shouldn’t shy away from difficult things, because that is the point at which you are really growing. It’s not just about grades or test scores. Today our kids may shy away from applying to college if they think they don’t have the right grade or test score. But the truth is that the kids who succeed and go on to be successful professionals are the ones who know how to work hard,” says Mrs. Obama.
And in order to even get that far, she says, they have to see education as an opportunity and take advantage of that kind of foundation.
“We cannot waste the opportunity that we have here in America, especially as African-Americans. Our ancestors fought and bled and died so that we could go to school,” she says. “And I still think about that.”
It’s a message she’s drilled into her daughters. “We talk about responsibility and accountability, about making sure that they’re not wasting the opportunities they’re given. We make sure they know how lucky they are and that, because of that, they have an obligation to have their acts together and to take their education very seriously.”
This issue also highlights the brand’s education special honing in on ways that parents can be more proactive in their child’s education, find unique sources of cash for college and how to get the most out of your child’s school.