Abstract
This essay recognizes the significance of the Celebrating African American Women & Dance master class held in February 2016 at the White House under the leadership of then First Lady Michelle Obama. The writer examines the actions of the former First Lady of the USA (FLOTUS) as a Black body in political authority. First, acknowledging the historical practice of dehumanization of the Black body, this essay centers on the Black female body and former FLOTUS Michelle’s choice to celebrate African American women and dance by honoring dance legends Debbie Allen, Judith Jamison, Virginia Johnson and Fatima Robinson at the White House. Furthermore, the writer credits the master class for taking the form of a generational exchange rooted in Black culture, traditions and heritage.
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References
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Dance Theatre of Harlem [dancetheatreofharlem]. [A]nd Then Flotus [The First Lady of The United States] Arrived…(Black ok Gesture Emoji) We had an Amazing Panel Discussion with @michelleobama and Dance legends Virginia Johnson, Judith Jamison, Debbie Allen and Fatima Robinson. The Take Away: Believe in Yourself [Instagram]. Retrieved from www.instagram.com/p/BBicXsKN6ux/, February 8, 2016.
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Gibson, D. (2018). Celebrating African American Women Through Dance at the White House. In: Duster, M., Seniors, P., Thevenin, R. (eds) Michelle Obama’s Impact on African American Women and Girls. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92468-7_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92468-7_13
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