Former First Lady Michelle Obama is offering her thoughts on the recent shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and how the nation can move forward to alleviate the effects of racial injustice on the American people.
Obama took to Twitter on Friday to share how the shooting of Jacob Blake on Aug. 23 and the shooting of three protesters on Tuesday that killed two and injured the third has affected her.
She explained how she is “devastated” by the shootings.
“These past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about what our kids are seeing every day in this country – the lack of empathy, the division stoked in times of crisis, the age-old and systemic racism that’s been so prominent this summer,” Obama said.
She added, “Sometimes they see it on the news. Sometimes they see it from the White House Rose Garden. And sometimes they see it from the back seat of a car. Like so many of you, I’m exhausted and frustrated right now. It’s a weight that I know Black and Brown people all across the country are shouldering once again. And we’re so often left wondering how things will get better.”
I’m just devastated by the shootings in Kenosha. And I can’t stop thinking about what our kids are seeing every day—and our obligations to them going forward.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) August 28, 2020
To find out how you can take action, check out the @ObamaFoundation's resources at https://t.co/gyOVs4Nxyb. pic.twitter.com/0CWfNj2ncL
Obama indicated she is hopeful as a result of the “powerful protests” that have erupted throughout sports leagues and communities.
She acknowledged while the protests will not reverse the damage already done by the shootings, they will remind Americans racial injustice is an issue, and unless a change is made, it will persist.
Obama went on to encourage protesters to continue to demonstrate and Americans to head to the ballot box to vote for reform.
She said if Americans exercise their right to protest and participate in elections, “…Maybe we can prevent the next name from being added to this seemingly unending list of tragedies.”
The former first lady closed her post reminding Americans to register to vote and offering “so much love and prayers to the families of those we lost and those whose lives are forever changed.”