My Big Dream Came True at the White House
On Tuesday one of my dreams came true. After 7 years and 11 months, I made it to the White House. Lady Cuties & Mr. Cuties your girl covered the FLOTUS Michelle Obama’s National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards Event. #NAHYPAwards Shout out to my media crew Moms N Charge, The Style Medic & Sisters With Beauty for taking in this magical experience with me. Let me walk you through it all.
Monday night I get a message late at night marked Urgent. I read It immediately, well enough to see White House and I just started rattling off my vital info. I was geeked, beyond geeked. In June I had the honor of being in the same room with President Obama, FLOTUS Michelle Obama & Oprah. Don’t get me wrong, it was majorly epic, but it was not at the White House so there was still a void. I would have accepted that as my fate but I didn’t want to. Now I don’t have to.
I was excited when I received this email confirmation. However, I wouldn’t allow myself to get fully excited until I was behind the gates. Look, stuff happens okay. I need a sure thing.
I thought this was a cool shot. They are doing construction across the street in front of the White House. It looks as if they are doing this construction on the White House grounds but they aren’t.
Now I can officially geek all the way out. My name was on the list, I cleared security and I was escorted to the Press Briefing Room on the White House grounds. I was there in an official media capacity. 
MIMICUTELIPS HAS COVERED THE WHITE HOUSE! *Squeals and falls down on back and spins around in glitter while tossing it by the fist full* Bucket list: CHECK!
Now that I’ve officially collected myself it is time to snap up some memories in all of this good White House.
I didn’t come all of this way not to snap picture after picture. These are memories people, once in a lifetime type of memories. All the cool kids were doing it. This room is so dang on tiny, it has a few short rows of old school movie theater type of seats. Major media outlets have assigned seats. I had no idea.
Call all your friends and tell them we spread melanin all up and through the White House on this day. *take a moment to take this in fully* This brown girl and these other three brown girls were media at the White House. At the White House where our first black President is holding office with his beautiful black wife Michelle Obama who oozes class all day long and twice on Sunday. Where this said power, couple graced in their pretty brown skin are raising their two very well educated and beautiful daughters. LISTEN!!! You might not be able to relate and that is okay just take in my moment as I give it to you.
My Mom who just turned 62 on Sunday went to segregated schools until she was a senior in High School. In 1972 my Mother went to school with white kids for the first time ever. This means so much to her and if my grandma was living I know this moment here would mean even more to her. Just recapping this day causes my eyes to fill with tears. To say I was proud simply isn’t good enough to describe the way I felt.
The First Lady recognized the country’s top creative youth development programs. Whenever she speaks I am all ears, she has a way about her that captivates your attention. You can hear her passion in every single word and I love that. In 2016 is seems so rare to find genuine people but Michelle Obama is it.
This was the eighth and final time First Lady Michelle Obama has recognized and celebrated 12 young people from across the country on behalf of the award-winning creative youth development programs. {Drops a few tears for everything being the final time.} These kids were among 251 nominees and 50 finalists. This year’s creative youth programs were recognized for improving literacy and language abilities, communication and performance skills and cultural awareness.
Subway Sleuths, New York Transit Museum is a specially designed after-school program for young train enthusiasts in 2nd through 5th grades who are on the autism spectrum. They stimulate communication, foster a sense of competence and helps develop skills like flexibility and self-regulation. Subway Sleuths is designed for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including those with Autism, Asperger and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified {PDD-NOS}.
Tribal Youth Ambassadors {YTA} Program, The California Indian Museum and Cultural Center. The TYA program engages Native youth in working to revitalize their culture, educate others and develop skills they can draw upon to foster pride and enhance self-esteem. YTA serves California native youth in Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma counties.
AileyCamp Miami, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is a summer camp at the Adrienne Arsht Center that uses dance as a vehicle for developing self-esteem, self-discipline, creative expression and critical thinking skills in vulnerable middle school students in Miami before they begin the demanding years of high school. Most of the campers are African American or Hispanic.
St. Louis, ArtWorks provides jobs, art and workforce development training, and opportunities for underserved teens in an environment that is safe for them to build positive relationships, develop effective communications skills, engage in the community and create a sense of belonging.
Live and in living color on media row.
After an incredibly inspiring awards program, we got to chat with some of the awardees. Meet Keloni of the Teens Arts + Tech Program, Western Michigan Center for Arts and Technology. They offer urban high school students a tuition-free after-school opportunity in arts and technology. This young lady is going places, I look forward to following her journey.
These little boys killed it at the White House. Their level of talent and musical capabilities were outstanding.
I took some time to take all of it in, I want to remember this moment and day forever. P.S. President Obama was in Greece.
This sisterhood right here runs deep. It is effortless and never forced. I’m so thankful God placed these ladies in my life. They make me better.
We stepped off the White House grounds into the middle of a protest. In true media fashion, Mom’s N Charge and I whipped out our phones and started recording. See it HERE. Just last week I was worried that I wouldn’t close out my year with a bang. Consider it BANGED!
Do you have dreams of going to the White House? Chat with me in the comment below or FB, IG or Twitter.
OMG – what an awesome experience! I’ve never been to the White House and I know you were thrilled beyond words. So glad you were able to check off this monumental bucket list event. Congrats!!
Thanks Alli, I was bubbling over with excitement. It was better than I imagined.
Wow that is awesome! You got to go to the White House and live your dream! How are you going to top this dream? It’s really cool that you got to go.
Jeanette, I have no idea but I can’t wait to see what life brings. I’m so freaking excited that I got to go.
What an absolutely amazing opportunity! I can’t believe you got to meet the First Lady!
Paula it was incredible, I wish I had a chance to meet the first lady. For now we just shared the same space.
I love this blog post. What an incredible experience. One I would be telling my kids and grand-kids about for years.
Thanks Jenn, that is exactly what I plan to do. They will be so sick of hearing this story.
I am so happy that you finally got to visit the White House. I can’t imagine what a great experience this must have been.
Thanks Bella, it was so freaking incredible.
OMG I got goosebumps reading this! What an awesome unforgettable moment to be in the White House. I love, love, love Flotus! Michelle Obama really is the best first lady ever! I will miss the Obamas deeply and I am not even American.
Awww thanks, Maureen. I so agree Maureen as a woman she has inspired me to be better. I’m going to miss them tremendously.
Wow, this is very cool! You should have gotten a pic with FLOTUS! You’ll be talking about this for a long time, I’m sure.
Carlana I would have died, but the way secret service is set up. lol
This makes me all kinds of happy! YES to the Melanin Media Row! YES to ending your year with a bang!
Yassssssssssss Tanya.
Oh my gosh! What an amazing experience! That is something you will remember for the rest of your life. How did you hold it together!?!?!
Ali it was so hard to hold it together. After one of the teenagers said such amazing things about us I was fighting hard to keep the tears back.
Lucky you! Looks like you had an amazing time! I hope that I can visit the White House in the future too!
Ave I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. I hope you get a chance to visit.
Now this is a BANG!!! What a dope opportunity! I wanted to make it to the white house for a visit/tour before the Obama administration ended but I never got around to planning it.
It was a huge bang. I’ve still not done an official White House tour but my interest has been put on hold. Maybe it will change in 4 years.
What an amazing experience, congratulations. I’ve been reading Shonda Rhimes book year of “Yes” and this was definitely a year of yes for you. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Elle. I love that book so much, I’m going to read it again. I feel like I need to do more and bigger next year.
I still get chills when I think of the magnitude of having them in the White House for the last eight years. They are going to be truly missed.
Right, Latoya I didn’t realize how much I would get overwhelmed with the feels. I’m missing them already.
I hope you bottled up some of that FLOTUS air! What an amazing opportunity! I’m so proud, and ready to see what’s next!
Girl I tried to I promise you I did. Thanks Boo.
That is pretty neat! We have only seen the White House from a distance, I can’t imagine what it would be like to actually be in it! I would be geeking out too!
It was Jennifer, until then I hadn’t been on the inside either. I had been on the grounds for a Garden Tour, but that was it.
What a wonderful once in a life time experience. It must have been simply overwhelming to watch the so deserving recipients receive their awards.
Chrishelle it really was, especially because they were kids.
Wow. Congratulations to that awesome experience.
Thanks Garf it was incredible.
What an amazing event to attend!!! I would have loved to have been there, so many amazing things these youth have done!
Bill the kids were really impressive.
This is awesome! I can imagine you saying, “Grandma I made it” These sound like great programs, glad to see the children being honored! So sad that the there term will be ending soon!
Yes Tiffany!!!! The kids were so incredible and so deserving.
What an once in a lifetime experience. The excitement of being there must of been unbelievable for you. So jealous! I would of loved to see her speak. I did however get a chance to see and meet our president. It was an honor.
It was so unbelievable. OMG Michele that is super exciting, I would have tried so hard to keep it together while coming undone.
What a privilige, you are blessed. It must be nice to meet the First Lady.
It was an honor to be in the same room. This post would have been way different if I had a chance to actually meet her.
Oh wow I am so jealous, I never really had it on my list to visit the white house but it would be an honour indeed especially with the obamas
It was my goal from the minute they were voted in. lol
I saw you post on IG. Kudos! This is so amazing you got to go before they are out. Such a wonderful experience and honor.
Thanks Kim, yes I had been having a fit to get there. It was an honor for sure.
Congrats, this is such a huge accomplishment! Loved your recap and pictures.
Thanks Kasi it was the best.