A couple weeks ago, the official portraits of the former president and first lady were unveiled at the White House. A couple days later, an even more beautiful photo started circulating the internet—one of a two-year-old girl, Parker, looking up in awe at the first lady herself.
Whether you're a fan of the Obamas or not, you can't deny that this is an adorable photo. But the look on little Parker's face is more than just adorable—it speaks to the importance of representation.
The girl's mother said it best: "She believes Michelle Obama is a queen, and she wants to be a queen as well." This is exactly why figures like Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton are important regardless of your political views or partisanship. When young people see individuals like them holding positions of power, they believe that they, too, can hold these positions of power.
Studies have shown that while comparable amounts of kindergarten-aged boys and girls say they want to be president when they grow up, by the time those same children are about to enter middle school, that statistic gains a clear slant and the number of girls with that aspiration drops dramatically while for the boys it remains the same. Say what you will, but a significant part of this is linked to representation.
Until recently, the figureheads we've seen represented in both our government and our media have been white men. When we think of a president or a boss or anyone, really, in a position of power, we tend to picture this same white man. After a lifetime of these images, it's no surprise that little girls don't grow up wanting to be presidents at the same rates that boys do.
This is exactly why the image of little Parker is so important.
In the words of the First Lady herself, "(girls and girls of color) will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the walls of this great American institution. ... And I know the kind of impact that will have on their lives because I was one of those girls."
May we continue to be and raise powerful women—like Michelle, and like Parker.
