‘Don’t mess with this Angel’: Michelle Obama stands up for Angel Reese
TheGrio...
On her podcast, Michelle Obama praises Angel Reese’s resilience as they speak candidly about the scrutiny Black women face in the spotlight.
The scrutiny that comes with being a Black woman in the public eye doesn’t discriminate by title. It doesn’t matter if you’re the First Lady of the United States or a 23-year-old WNBA star; if you’re a Black woman living out loud, someone will have something to say about it. Michelle Obama and Angel Reese both know that truth better than most, which is exactly what made their recent conversation on Obama’s podcast “IMO,” co-hosted by her brother Craig Robinson, feel so special.
During the episode, Obama wasted no time pouring into Reese.
“You are handling yourself beautifully. I mean, it’s not just what you do, but the way you carry yourself, girl. I mean, it is really a joy to watch you manage it all, and you do it with a smile on your face with an excellent attitude,” Obama told her. “You are a special, special person.”
“Thank you. It’s an honor coming from you, the queen,” Reese said, flattered.
Like Reese, Obama is very familiar with how cruel the media can be to Black women in the spotlight. Throughout former President Barack Obama’s terms in the White House, the former First Lady was the subject of scrutiny for everything from her hair to her dress choices. Similarly, Reese found herself under the same scrutiny as a junior in college after winning the NCAA championship with LSU, and has since been forced to navigate that throughout her journey into the WNBA.
“I don’t think anybody will ever understand [what I’ve been through],” Reese shared. “I appreciate you guys for making this a safe space for me because, as you said, the media has not always been great for me.”
She continued: “[Like] I’ll take a fine. I’ll catch a fine, especially in the WNBA. I’ll take a fine before I have to go to media and feel like my back is against the wall. So I really appreciate you guys for allowing me to come on here and this feel like a safe space. And one of the safest spaces that it’s been in a very, very long time for me.”
Obama acknowledged relating to the weight of it all, but was quick to note the difference in their circumstances. She was in her 40s when she navigated the heat of the White House spotlight, while Reese is doing it at 23.
“It’s a big difference to have to deal with that kind of spotlight,” she emphasized. “It’s important to acknowledge that that’s not normal. There are few people who understand what it feels like to never, ever be able to blend in.”
“I think it was a really pivotal point in my life. I think it was a character builder for me,” Reese shared. “To be able to go through what I was going through, especially at a time when I won. But am I losing at the same time, because why am I feeling like I’m getting pulled by the wins, but I’m also getting pulled by the losses? And how do I find a medium where I’m able to just cope with both?”
Explaining how the experience forced her to become more selective about the company she keeps, Reese said staying confident and grateful kept her grounded amid all the noise.
“I try to wake up every day and just be grateful for every moment. Every moment hasn’t been great, but I wouldn’t change this life for anything, because I have had some really good moments, and I don’t want bad moments to outshine the good moments,” she shared. “I don’t think anybody can dictate the love and joy or take that away from me. I’ve been through so much at a pivotal time. Now it’s like everything is a win to me. The small things are a win to me, so I don’t even let the negativity get to me. Like, it doesn’t bother me. You see it, I see it, we all see it. And it’s like, I’ve grown to have a skin where you can’t break me.”
And while the WNBA star stands firm in who she is as an athlete, entrepreneur, model, etc, Obama has a message to Reese’s critics: “ Don’t mess with this girl. Don’t miss with her spirit. Do not mess with this angel. Stop it. Just stop it.”