Today Secretary Clinton along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and of course First Lady Michelle Obama gathered in Emancipation Hall in the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC for the unveiling ceremony for the bust of Sojourner Truth.
Sojourner Truth was an 19th century American slave, abolitionist, and women's rights activist who is best-known for her speech, "Ain't I a Woman?".
"... Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them..."
Sculptor Artis Lane and Texas Representative Sheila Jackson Lee joined in the unveiling.
I must get a little wonky here... Hillary looked radiant in her bright orange pantsuit! Love it. And Michelle Obama had on a really cute dress too! And I just think MO's expression in this pic is priceless!
Its really great to see three strong women honoring the strength and achievements of another great historic heroine. I'm glad for the fact that years from now, these three woman, no matter if you love them or hate them, are shaping our country and will be remembered and honored for their achievements as woman and dedicated servants to our country.... purely awesome. ok ok, enough geeking out here.
Hillary also spoke in tribute to Sojourner Truth and gave props to the FLOTUS.
"This is an achievement that did not come easily or quickly. It took years of hard work and faith by many people to make this day possible. And what a great honor and pleasure it is to have with us for this extraordinary moment in our nation’s history our First Lady, Michelle Obama."
Read her full remarks here or watch below:
7 comments:
Hillary is so gracious. She constantly brings tears to my eyes with her compassion and intelligence. She is a born leader. Bravo Hillary Clinton, you are the bright light in the Obama Administration.
Just posted this over on Madam Secretary, but relevant here:
You go right on smiling, Michelle, but I'm still steamed about your husband having labeled Hillary and Bill as racists during the primaries.
Obamabots will cry that he never said any such thing. Strictly speaking, I suppose that's true, but in the meantime his campaign staffers were circulating four-page memos to select members of the press claiming that Hillary's innocuous remark about Martin Luther King was a deliberate racial taunt -- right after Hillary's big win in New Hampshire, which gave her a second wind, and right before the primary in South Carolina, when she got the wind knocked out of her campaign again [This was only one of many examples where Hillary's remarks were taken out of context and their meaning twisted; think of the flap over her saying "as far as I know..." after Steve Croft on 60 minutes had asked her SEVEN different times and in SEVEN different ways whether she believed Obama was a Muslim, and she had SEVEN previous times either plainly denied the false claim, labeled that suggestion to be a smear, or expressed sympathy for Obama having to deal with the Muslim innuendo). When Obama was handed the four-page memo by Tim Russert during the South Carolina debate, by the way, he claimed he hadn't seen it and didn't know anything about it. Uh-huh. He did go public saying her remark was "ill-advised" which is not the same as expressing sympathy for Hillary having to deal with the racist innuendo.
Here's Hillary's outrageously racist comment about King:
"Dr. King’s dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when he was able to get through Congress something that President Kennedy was hopeful to do...That dream became a reality, the power of that dream became real in people’s lives because we had a president who said ‘We’re going to do it’ and actually got it accomplished.”
Here's what Obama staffer, Candice Tolliver - whose job it was to promote Obama to African Americans, incidentally - had to say in response: "A cross-section of voters are alarmed at the tenor of some of these statements" and "Folks are beginning to wonder: Is this an isolated situation, or is there something bigger behind all of this?"
It didn't help that (pro-Obama) black politicians and leaders were chiming in about the "racist overtones" of her remarks.
To quote Megan Garber from the Columbia Journalism Review, on January 15, 2008 --
"Clinton’s comment had nothing to do with race. Clinton was trying, counter-intuitively and perhaps a bit desperately, to highlight the unsung benefits of her being a “Washington insider”: to argue that, pragmatically, being on the inside of politics-as-usual would actually help her to get things done were she to become president. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, Clinton seemed to be saying, it takes a politician to make a law. It wasn’t about black-vs-white; it wasn’t even about rhetoric-vs-action (no one disputes that Dr. King brought much, much more than mere rhetoric to the Civil Rights movement); it was about insider-vs-outsider, experienced-vs-inexperienced. It wasn’t about Obama’s being black; it was about his being green."
So, go right on smiling Michelle. But never forget that it was Hillary who helped bring TRUTH to the US Capitol.
*getting down off my soap box*
Good post. I love Hillary.
Dear Mahlers5th: Let's face it, Obama's entire campaign was racially motivated and about Playing the Race Card. This was done wilfully and knowingly and I agree, Obama & Co. turned the Clintons into racists and left Bill Clinton lying bleeding on the side of the road. No one can defend themselves against those kind of attacks.
Michelle also said about Hillary on the campaign trail: "How can she take care of the White House if she can't take care of her own house?" or something to that affect. I was incensed upon hearing it. Here is a woman who wanted to be First Lady trashing another First Lady her first day out campaigning for Obama. I have not liked her since. But that is why I said in my post above, Hillary is so gracious. She can work with these people and seems to have let it all go. Hillary is a wonderful role model for women everywhere. Our country lost out when Obama stole the election and became president.
Here is a great post about great women coming together to honor Sojourner Truth finally being memorialized in the Capitol, an honor which was long overdue in my opinion, and yet some people just want slam Michelle Obama and relive the frustration over the 2008 election. I'm a Hillary supporter (obviously), but sometimes I just don't see what we gain by trashing Obama's wife and calling Obama supporters names.
I personally am glad to see that Secretary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Ted Kennedy and others seem to have put the animosity that may have developed during the democratic primaries, behind them in order to advance a cause and national agenda which at the end of the day, is bigger than any one election or candidate.
Thanks for the post Sarah.
@Stacy, most of us have moved on and let go of the anger at the use of the race card and other insults during the primaries. However, this does not mean that we have forgotten of forgiven what happened. Amnesia is not an option.
Im glad everyone is debating this... I like to hear both sides because Hillary supporters range so much in their opinions and ideals.
I think the last comment sums it up very well... although it is impossible to forget what happened, most people, including myself, have moved on from any hard feelings from the primaries... it was hard to do, but it is what Hillary wanted and what is best for our country.
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