PrintNovember 28, 2010
Richard Cohen and the Invisible Power
For Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen, there's a certain sweetness in highlighting ingratitude during a time when most Americans are giving thanks. Cohen opened Thanksgiving week with an essay defending Michelle Obama's claim that prior to her husband's nomination for president, there was little to be proud of here in America. "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country," said the current First Lady back in 2008.In his essay ("Michelle Was Right About Her Country"), Cohen wants to raise the awareness of those who might assume that America has adequately atoned for its racist past.For example, when Michelle Obama was a student at Princeton, says Cohen, her "blackness" became an issue. In her senior thesis, Mrs. Obama wrote that she felt "more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before." But wasn't it Michelle's "blackness" that opened the doors for her to Princeton and Harvard (and closed the doors to...(Read Full Article)
