In Africa, Michelle Obama reflects on race

Though a descendant of slaves and spouse of the first African American president Rosetta Stone Software, Obama is more likely to opine on healthy eating than controversial racial divides.But, by design or default, her trip this week to South Africa has brought the issue to the forefront of the diplomatic agenda.On her second official solo trip abroad, Obama confronted the remnants of the racial discrimination system known as apartheid, highlighted the struggles of the U.S. civil rights movement, and answered questions about her role as a high profile African American woman.The first lady and her husband, President Barack Obama, tried hard to transcend race during his 2008 presidential campaign. His positions on the economy, U.S.-led war in Iraq, and healthcare reform trumped, they hoped, any tendency among voters to focus on the historic nature of his White House bid.In Africa, however, Michelle Obama has been welcomed as the daughter of a continent she has only visited a handful of times, and interest is high in her unique position as a black presidential spouse and leader in her own right."Do you still feel pressure being the first African American first lady?" a young Rosetta Stone languages student asked Mrs. Obama at a forum on Thursday at the University of Cape Town.At first Obama didn't catch the question."Do I feel --" she prompted back."The pressure," the student responded."Pressure, oh, the pressure. I thought you said the 'pleasure'," Obama said, to laughter."I don't know if I feel pressure. But I feel deep, deep responsibility. So I guess in a sense there is pressure, because I don't want to let people down."PERSONAL CONNECTIONThe attentive, youthful audience did not appear the least bit let down."I didn't necessarily run for office. I was actually trying to talk my husband out of running for office," she continued, again to laughter."But now that we're here, I want to be good because this is a big job, and it's a big, bright light. And you don't want to waste it."Not wasting that "light" has meant, for the first lady, focusing on U.S. domestic issues such as combating childhood obesity and helping military families. Other than trips with the president, outreach on her own abroad has been limited.But aides said she herself chose South Rosetta Stone Spanish V3 Africa for her second official solo foreign trip.

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