What’s better than combing a powerful leader and a history breaking ballerina? Can’t think of too many things, but when Time and Essence brought together these two powerhouses, we were gifted with not only a great interview, but black excellence.
Time reporter, Maya Rhodan, sat down with President Barack Obama and American Ballet Theatre Principal Ballerina, Misty Copeland, to discuss everything from race, #BlackGirlMagic and raising two African American women.
This was just a clip of the three video series featuring the two. The President and Copeland both have similar stories in overcoming racial boundaries in their respective fields. In this interview, Copeland said something that resonates especially with all black women who struggle being the only person of color in their field.
“You know, being the only African American at this level in American Ballet Theatre, I feel like people are looking at me, and it’s my responsibility for me to do whatever I can to provide these opportunities in communities to be able to educate them. And if that means having a program just for black dancers to allow them to have the same opportunity that generations and generations of white dancers have had, it’s necessary.”
President Obama is definitely making sure his last term in office goes out with a bang. I don’t think we have seen him so open during his 8 year tenure. When else are we going to have Kendrick Lamar and black ballerinas in the White House?