The heart of Michelle Obama's commencement address at Tuskegee University on Saturday centered on her role as the first black first lady of the United States as a lesson to the students. It offered a reminder that the role of first lady -- a position that for so long was seen as ornamentation to a powerful man -- has evolved and changed along with the country.
Speaking at the historic university that hosted the first flight school for black pilots in World War II, Obama transitioned from the school's history to her own. She noted the tension that surrounded her and her husband during his first campaign. She repeated the questions she faced -- a blend of her position, gender, education and race: "Was I too loud, or too angry, or too emasculating? Or was I too soft, too much of a mom, not enough of a career woman?"
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