First lady says we all have potential

First lady Michelle Obama (right) embraces Vanessa DeLuca, editor-in-chief of Essence Magazine, as she

finishes speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Feb. 20, 2015, during a “Celebrating

Women of the Movement” event honoring Black History Month. Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

WASHINGTON — On Friday, first lady Michelle Obama spoke at an event

marking Black History Month. She said the most important thing for blacks today

is getting a good education.

Obama was joined by a group of women who took part in the civil rights

movement, which fought to give equal rights to black Americans. The women,

Obama said, represent many different sides of the movement. Still, as different

as they are, "there is something that connects each of their stories," she said.

What they all share in common is a "hunger for and belief in the power of

education.”

They Overcame Challenges

Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Carlotta Walls LaNier were among the women who

joined the first lady at the event. Both had to fight hard to receive an education.

During the 1960s, Hunter-Gault was one of the first black students to attend the

previously whites-only University of Georgia. During the 1950s, LaNier was the

By McClatchy Washington Bureau, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.23.15

Word Count 557

youngest member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of black high school students

barred from entering Arkansas’ Little Rock Central High School. At the time,

Little Rock only admitted whites. LaNier eventually became the first black female

to graduate from the school.

LaNier and Hunter-Gault often faced physical resistance while attempting to

receive an education. Both women were able to overcome the challenges even

after people tried to stop them.

Obama said that while times have changed, problems still remain. Mobs with

bricks and bottles no longer keep young black women from attending college.

In the past, some white people used violence to keep black students from

getting an education.

Yet even today, many black students find it difficult to get a good education.

“Nobody needs a military escort to get to class. But that doesn’t mean that our

children don’t still face struggles when it comes to education,” she said.

Everyone Has Potential

The high school graduation rate for black students is on the rise. However, a

smaller fraction of black students graduates from high school than white,

Hispanic or Asian students.

Because of that, Obama urged the young black women who attended the event

to go to school no matter what. Get yourself an education, she said, even if it

means attending “bad” schools with crumbling buildings and outdated

technology. She insisted that if children fall behind in school, they fall behind in

life.

"We simply cannot afford to lose out on the potential of even one young person,”

she said. “We cannot allow even one more young person to fall through the

cracks.”

Education, she said, is key. It is all-important when it comes to solving problems

such as high rates of imprisonment, poverty and racial profiling.

Obama herself is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School.

She heads the program Reach Higher, an effort to boost the desire for college

education in high schoolers.

Turning The Key

Friday's event was co-hosted by Essence magazine, a magazine for African-

American women. Only a few days earlier, the magazine released its first issue

in 45 years without a photo on the cover. Instead of an image, the cover features

the words, “BLACK LIVES MATTER.”

Essence Editor-in-Chief Vanessa K. DeLuca led Friday's panel discussion. Its

theme was the continuing importance of education.

“Education is still the key to success,” said LaNier. “You need all the education

you can possibly get.”

Quiz

1 Which sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-2] BEST explains why first lady

Michelle Obama is like the women who took part in the civil rights movement?

(A) The women, Obama said, represent many different sides of the

movement.

(B) Obama was joined by a group of women who took part in the civil

rights movement, which fought to give equal rights to black

Americans.

(C) Still, as different as they are, "there is something that connects each

of their stories," she said.

(D) What they all share in common is a "hunger for and belief in the

power of education.”

2 Which paragraph in the section "Everyone Has Potential" explains why Michelle

Obama urges young people to graduate from high school?

3 Read the sentence below from the section "They Overcame Challenges."

Both had to fight hard to receive an education.

Which of the following BEST explains how the sentence contributes to the

development of the main idea of the article?

(A) It introduces two specific examples of problems that black students

used to have attending school.

(B) It shows two specific examples of black students successfully

graduating from school today.

(C) It explains the cause of a problem that the first lady wants to fix.

(D) It explains why the first lady invited different people to her event.

4 Which of the following BEST explains how the section "Turning The Key" contributes

to the development of the ideas in the article?

(A) The section describes how a current magazine supports the first

lady's interest in education.

(B) The section describes how women who got an education now run a

successful magazine.

(C) The section shows how a magazine for African-American women

highlights their problems.

(D) The section suggests a cause of problems experienced by some

students in schools today.

Answer Key

1 Which sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-2] BEST explains why first lady

Michelle Obama is like the women who took part in the civil rights movement?

(A) The women, Obama said, represent many different sides of the

movement.

(B) Obama was joined by a group of women who took part in the civil

rights movement, which fought to give equal rights to black

Americans.

(C) Still, as different as they are, "there is something that connects each

of their stories," she said.

(D) What they all share in common is a "hunger for and belief in

the power of education.”

2 Which paragraph in the section "Everyone Has Potential" explains why Michelle

Obama urges young people to graduate from high school?

Paragraph 10:

Education, she said, is key. It is all-important when it comes to solving

problems such as high rates of imprisonment, poverty and racial

profiling.

3 Read the sentence below from the section "They Overcame Challenges."

Both had to fight hard to receive an education.

Which of the following BEST explains how the sentence contributes to the

development of the main idea of the article?

(A) It introduces two specific examples of problems that black

students used to have attending school.

(B) It shows two specific examples of black students successfully

graduating from school today.

(C) It explains the cause of a problem that the first lady wants to fix.

(D) It explains why the first lady invited different people to her event.

4 Which of the following BEST explains how the section "Turning The Key" contributes

to the development of the ideas in the article?

(A) The section describes how a current magazine supports the

first lady's interest in education.

(B) The section describes how women who got an education now run a

successful magazine.

(C) The section shows how a magazine for African-American women

highlights their problems.

(D) The section suggests a cause of problems experienced by some

students in schools today.