by Fred Logan
We all saw the news reports. The former US first lady Michelle Robinson-Obama boycotted Trump’s presidential inauguration on January 20, 2025. That was also the date of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Holiday. She let it be known several days before the inauguration that she would not be attending. Her husband former US president Barack Obama attended the event, alone.
At this crisis moment in world history, all African Americans should say, “Asante Sana Michelle Robinson-Obama, Thank you.” Her stance strengthens the Black community’s moral and political resolve to “mobilize, educate, and organize,” locally and nationally
In the tradition of African American struggle and all ethical, principled people’s struggles worldwide, Michelle is a commanding tower of strength and inspiration.
FRED LOGAN
She was not alone. Remember in January 2020 when US congresswoman Nancy Pelosi stood before the world on the floor of US Congress and ripped up for the world to see Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech?
Nancy Pelosi boycotted Trump’s 2025 inauguration. We must applaud Nancy Pelosi and other high-profile elected official who boycotted the inauguration. We must also take note of the local elected officials who did attend Trump’s inauguration, contrary to their self-proclaimed “progressive” Rainbow-leaning politics.
Donald Trump started the inauguration—boycotting. Trump boycotted Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021.
Trump’s open, right-wing actions and proposals are no secret. Anyone who supports Trump, in any respect, cannot claim they were misled. He is not a hypocrite in this respect. Trump “is what he is.”
We hear some Black folks, here and there, argue Michelle should have supported Barack and attended the inauguration with him. Michelle stood rock-solid on her convictions. And from the clear scowl on Barack’s face during the inauguration, he didn’t want to be there.
Trump invoked Martin Luther King’s legacy and said his presidency will make Martin Luther King’s “dream come true,” Can you criticize Michelle for boycotting that? Can you?
Michelle Robinson-Obama made strong principled speeches at the 2024 Democratic Convention and at the 2016 National Democratic Convention. Both Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2024 were far superior candidates to Trump. But mainstream America voted in the footsteps of South Carolina’s Pitch Fork Ben Tillman and the other open right wing White racist politicians who have domination US politics.
At former US president Jimmy Carter’s recent funeral, Barack Obama and Trump can be seen sitting next to each other smiling and whispering. Michelle would have none of that.
During his eight years in the White House Obama did nothing to mobilize his base that voted him in office. That included the Black community. During his eight years in office, Obama ducked and dodged the Black Agenda, which includes many of the programs and policies of the current Progressive agenda.
In October 2024, Barack Obama was in Pittsburgh scolding the Black male vote, which remains light years ahead of any US Ethnic European American vote.
Among the best, most important ways for Black folks around the nation to say “Asante Sana, Thank You” to Michelle is to continue building the infrastructure, that is the institutional base for Black politics. That means to continue building the online newsletters and hard copy newsletters, the Black political action committees, the Black think tanks large and small that the Black community must have to keep itself informed and to the strategize how to move forward in these perilous times we live in. And we can be sure Michelle Robinson-Obama will say “Asante Sana, Thank you” to us for building that.
The post Fred Logan: Asante Sana Michelle Robinson-Obama, Thank You! appeared first on New Pittsburgh Courier.