Wednesday, August 31, 2016
‘It was riveting, it was exciting, my dream of a great date!’
So this past weekend I had the opportunity to go see ‘Southside With You’ which is a film that depicts the first date of Barack and Michelle Obama. Let me tell you… I was impressed.
One thing I gotta give it to Barack Obama- he was smooth. He had a few mishaps, but he knew how to recover well and treat Michelle to an unforgettable first date..
But it was her entire being that captivated me throughout the film. She was strong, confident, classy, firm, culturally diverse and the list goes on. She commanded respect when he might have stepped out of line, but did so in the most ‘nice nasty’ way. She didn’t allow herself to be dumbed down just so Barack could feel good about himself. Yet she was her own person and poised in every way. She saw the struggles in her family and community to drive her to become the woman she desired to be. She knew that being a woman in an industry filled with men meant that she had to present herself in a dignified manner; being black on top of that just made the slate harder so she also had to work twice as hard.
Then there’s the one scene I will never forget. Barack had been negative about his father which in turn had a negative effect of his perception of himself. Her response-classic. I have never seen a woman speak so much life into a man about having a positive outlook not only on his father’s life but also that of his own. You could tell she made his soul ignite!
Overall, amazing film. Within the first ten minutes I was hooked- from hearing the reciting of my favorite Gwendolyn Brooks poem to witnessing the levels of their date which was more like an experience.
It made me remember the recent conversation I had with a friend who said ‘a good man is going to think outside the box of dinner and a movie, but give you an experience.’ And Barack did just that.
As a young brown female, I hope some of our men go see this movie and take notes. Know that it’s okay to show your knowledge, court a woman and give a memory that will last you two a lifetime. It showed me just how much brown/ black love can and still exists.
My only complaint: I wish it was longer!
Go see this film yourself ASAP!!!
-MRG
Mahogany Rose Girl 