Michelle Obama hits back at 'angry black woman' tag in candid Oprah interview

Saphora Smith11 January 2017

Michelle Obama has told how she has dealt with racist jibes during her time as First Lady of the US in a candid "exit" interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Asked what it felt like to be called an “angry black woman” by her critics Mrs Obama said: “That was one of those things where you just sort of thing, ‘Dang, you don’t even know me.’ You just sort of feel like, ‘Wow, where’d that come from?’

“But then you sort of think, ‘This isn’t about me.’ This is about the person or people who write it, you know? That’s just the truth.”

Mrs Obama continued: “We’re so afraid of each other…Colour, wealth, these things that don’t really matter still play too much of a role in how we see one another.

Candid interview: Michelle Obama speaks to Oprah Winfrey

“And it’s sad, because the thing that least defines us is the color of our skin. It’s the size of our bank account. None of that matters.”

Speaking to Mrs Winfrey as she prepares to leave the White House, Mrs Obama said the weight of her husband’s presidency placed on their family has lifted “knowing that we’ve made it this far, and we’ve survived and in many ways thrived.”

The First Lady filmed the interview with the American television show host five weeks after the election of Donald Trump to the White House.

The Obamas campaigned aggressively against Mr Trump and argued that the New York businessman is unfit to be president.

While Mr Obama has refused since the November 8 election to repeat his criticisms of Mr Trump.

In the wide ranging interview Mrs Obama did not mention the President-elect by name.

But she said she prayed Americans still had "hope", adding: "See, now we are feeling what not having hope feels like, you know. Hope is necessary. It is a necessary concept. What do you give your kids if you can't give them hope?"

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