Michelle Obama: World’s Most Powerful People ‘Aren’t That Smart’


Michelle’s message to minorities that the world’s most powerful people ‘aren’t that smart’ might not be bolstered by Michelle’s own writing. Can you make sense of her Princeton thesis?

Excerpts from Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community, by Michelle LaVaughn Robinson

As a result of this greater sense of comfort felt by respondents with groups with whom they have spent more time, more respondents will be interested in benefiting these particular groups in comparison to others. Thus, the variable measuring time spent with Blacks or Whites will also influence the dependent variable measured by the respondents’ motivation to benefit various social groups. For example, respondents who have spent time with Blacks are likely to be more comfortable with Blacks and will, therefore, take a great interest in benefiting this group in comparison to other social groups. Consequently, it also likely that these respondents are motivated to benefit self, their loved ones (who are also likely to be Black) and the Black community in comparison to other social groups indicated by this variable. While Blacks who are more comfortable with Whites than with Blacks will probably be less interested in benefiting the Black community. (Robinson, 19)

As we have seen, the findings discussed in the previous paragraphs seem to support the hypothesis that respondents who were increasing the time spent with Blacks were becoming more attached to the Black community during the Pre-to-Prin period both in their individual interactions and in their political ideologies about Black and White relations on a community level. Respondents who were increasing time spent with Blacks were also becoming interested in positively contributing to the Black community. (Robinson, 42)

However, with the increasing integration of Blacks into the mainstream society, many “integrated Blacks” have lost touch with the Black culture in their attempts to become adjusted and comfortable in their new culture — the White culture. Some of these Blacks are no longer able to enjoy the qualities which make Black culture so unique or are unable to openly share their culture with other Blacks because they have become so far removed from these experiences and, in some instances, ashamed of them as a result of their integration.  (Robinson, 54)

When Michelle was asked at the event how she felt about being viewed as a “symbol of hope,” she responded: “I still have a little imposter syndrome, it never goes away, that you’re actually listening to me.”

“It doesn’t go away, that feeling that you shouldn’t take me that seriously. What do I know? I share that with you because we all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is,” Obama said.

The impostor syndrome is a psychological term for feelings of doubt on has in their accomplishments coupled with a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud.

It reminds me of a quote from Joseph Heller’s Catch-22: “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.”



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  1. Teriqua Jones

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