Civil liberties are at risk if African Americans don't get out the vote, Mrs. Obama says at Congressional Black Caucus Foundation gala...First Lady Michelle Obama on Saturday night made an impassioned call to African Americans to get out the vote for November's election, asking delegates at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation gala to register voters and take them to the polls. Making history as the only First Lady to ever address the annual Phoenix Awards dinner, now in its 42nd year, Mrs. Obama called the issue the civil rights "movement of our era," saying that African Americans are at risk of losing historic hard-won victories. (Above: Mrs. Obama greets the audience as she arrives to a standing ovation)
"Make no mistake about it, this is the march of our time,” Mrs. Obama, clad in a black one-shouldered gown, told a crowd of more than 3,000 gathered in the cavernous Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
"Marching door-to-door registering people to vote, marching everyone you know to the polls every single election.”
It is "the movement of our era--protecting that fundamental right, not just for this election but for the next generation and generations to come," Mrs. Obama said, to applause.
More than a dozen states, including the key battleground states of Florida and Ohio, have made GOP-backed efforts to pass laws that require voters to show government ID at the polls. Opponents say the laws are designed to harm minorities, the poor and college students, all groups that tend to vote Democratic.
"We cannot let anyone discourage us from casting our ballots," Mrs. Obama said, without mentioning any states by name. "We cannot let anyone make us feel unwelcome in the voting booth. It is up to us to make sure that in every election, every voice is heard and every vote is counted.""And that means making sure our laws preserve that right. It means monitoring the polls to ensure that every eligible voter can exercise that right."
A Harvard-trained lawyer, Mrs. Obama framed her case as one of ensuring that the rule of law remains supreme, and continues to ensure that black Americans have equality. The White House, she reminded the audience, was built by slaves, and segregation was not so long ago.
"Today, while there are no more "whites only” signs keeping us out, no one barring our children from the schoolhouse door, we know that our journey is far, far from finished," Mrs. Obama said.
The voting issue was front and center for the CBC as delegates gathered in Washington this week for the organization's annual legislative action conference.
"African Americans who don’t vote, should give us their color back," CBC chairman Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) declared as the conference opened.
The First Lady has spent her time on the campaign trail focusing on getting out the vote, making the pitch as she hopscotches through swing states. The Obama campaign has created a pledge-to- vote campaign; President Obama this week in Florida breakfasted with three students who will vote for the first time in November, and got them to sign pledge cards.
Mrs. Obama during her keynote also made a plea for her Let's Move! campaign, calling on the glamorous crowd of black leaders, politicos, and media stars to take on child health initiatives in order to preserve the successes of the civil rights movement. Forty percent of black children are overweight or obese, and nearly one in two are on track to develop diabetes in their lifetimes, Mrs. Obama said.
"Make no mistake about it, change absolutely starts at home. We know that. It starts with each of us taking responsibility for ourselves and our families. Because we know that our kids won’t grow up healthy until our families start eating right and exercising more," she said.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.; film director George Lucas; Harvey Gantt, the first African American mayor of Charlotte, NC; and Rep. Corinne Brown (D-FLA) were honored during the evening.
"As long as I'm Attorney General the right to vote will be protected," Holder said as he accepted his Phoenix award.
Guests included Political commentator Star Jones, actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Kerry Washington, star of ABC's hit political drama Scandal, who sat with the inspiration for her character, political fixer Judy Smith. The First Lady's dramatic gown was created by American designer Michael Kors, according to the Mrs. O blog.
The transcript of Mrs. Obama's remarks.
Mrs. Obama joined President Obama as he delivered the keynote address at last year's dinner, as well as in 2009 and in 2010. On Saturday, the President was campaigning in Wisconsin, attending two fundraisers, accompanied by Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and speaking at a rally in Milwaukee.
The President and Mrs. Obama travel to New York City on Monday. The President will attend the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, and he and his wife will film a co-interview for The View.
*AP photos
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