South Side Sisterhood : My Letter to Michelle Obama
In her Netflix documentary Becoming, based heavily on her best-selling memoir of the same name, Former First Lady Michelle Obama takes us on a journey into her life. Highly anticipated, millions tuned in to watch her journey as a girl from the South Side of Chicago became our Forever First Lady. Black women especially were touched by her story, none perhaps moreso than other South Side girls. Here, one South Side girl, Deidra Bibbs, reflects on the documentary and shares a letter to her homegirl - Michelle Obama - with love.
“Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the United States. Living on the South Side of Chicago, it’s as if there are two different Chicagos. On the North Side, Chicago is predominantly White, upper-middle to upper class; the infrastructure is modernized, and the resources plentiful. However, the West, East, and South sides of Chicago consist predominantly of Black and Brown people of low socioeconomic status, aged infrastructure, abandoned buildings and food deserts. Despite this vast difference, the South Side of Chicago is unique and historical in its own right.
“I'm from the South Side of Chicago - That tells you as much about me as you need to know.”
Michelle Obama says in her documentary, and this statement is spot on. A Chicagoan’s tradition, when meeting someone else from Chicago while traveling is to ask, “What side of Chicago are you from?” When you hear, “the South Side,” you automatically know what type of person you’re speaking with. Someone who shares the culture that is the South Side- the sense of community, the way we speak and the vernacular we use, the food we eat, the overall shared experience that is the South Side. So, when Michelle Obama made this statement, I knew exactly what she meant. I have said the same thing throughout my life.
As a girl from the South Side,
you can assume that one of my favorites to eat is anything drowned in mild sauce (a Chicago delicacy), that I carry myself with class but am the last person you should make upset, and that everything I accomplish is both for myself and every other Black child living on the South side.
In the Becoming documentary, Michelle Obama visits her childhood home in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. Growing up adjacent to Auburn Gresham in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, I am sure we shared similar experiences. Unlike Michelle Obama, I did not have an immediate relative such as a brother to look up to as far as college and beyond. For a young Black girl growing up in that neighborhood living in a single-parent home, I had to seek motivations outside of my neighborhood to reach the point where I am now in my education. In considering these outside motivations, the round circles Michelle Obama held throughout her tour were nostalgic. Throughout the various high-school prep and college-prep programs I participated in, it was the multiple Michelle Obamas – Black and Brown women that I looked up to – who spoke directly to me and motivated me at every educational or personal transition in my life. As an adult, I make every effort to remind myself of not only how I felt as a young child and teenager growing up on the South Side, but I also remind myself of the multiple women who made an impact on my life.
Her existence, even before she became the Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States, was already a force to be reckoned with, encouraging other young Black girls like me – even if she didn’t realize it. I would commend her for continuing to center and give voice to young people, particularly people of color.
What especially stuck out to me in Becoming was Michelle Obama’s story about a high school counselor discouraging her from applying to Princeton University. She specifically stated that this counselor suggested Princeton was her “thinking too big, reaching too high.” If it wasn’t for Michelle Obama’s determination and strength of character, she may have believed this counselor and never became the great woman we know her to be today. I have also experienced teachers and other authority figures question my potential. However, if it had not been for women who personified Michelle Obama in my personal life – I also would not be where I am today. Again, I want to emphasize just how symbolic Michelle Obama is. She is a powerful entity for young people and older people alike, but particularly for Black girls across generations who never thought they would be able to embody greatness.
Michelle Obama, from one South Side girl to another, thank you, thank you, and thank you again.
About the Author
Deidra Bibbs was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood. After graduating from Kenwood Academy, Deidra attended the University of Missouri – Columbia, majoring in Psychology and Sociology. Currently, Deidra is a 2nd year PhD student in School Psychology at Ball State University. Deidra has benefitted from various community programs including Bethune Carver Scholars, YMCA Black and Latino Achievers, and Ladies of Virtue. Having both professional and volunteer experience in advocacy and mentorship, Deidra aims to center her research and service career on Black girls and the school to prison pipeline. Remaining passionate on this front, Deidra remains dedicated to changing lives - one Black girl at a time.