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Louise McEwanThere were lots of good speeches at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, but it was Michelle Obama’s that stayed with me. I took an important message from the First Lady’s words that has little to do with the American presidential election.

Obama told a story that was both personal and social. As she talked about her history and that of Hillary Clinton, she also told the story of a nation. She framed America’s story in terms of the metaphor of the glass ceiling. When people persevere through adversity, through the “lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation,” they change society for the better. Because of the cumulative efforts of others, she, a black woman “wake(s) up every morning in a house built by slaves” and today’s children “now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.”

Even as recently as a decade ago, not everyone assumed that a black man or a woman could become the American president. In his 2006 song Lookin’ For a Leader, Neil Young crooned, “Someone walks among us/And I hope he hears the call/And maybe it’s a woman/Or a black man after all.” Young expressed hope that a change in the status quo was not only possible but imminent.

Changing the status quo takes time. Glass ceilings exist in all sorts of places. Unless you happen to be especially privileged or lucky, chances are you or someone you know has bumped their head trying to break through. I don’t have to think too long or hard to come up with examples from my experience.

When we were advocating for equal access in sport for girls in our area, we frequently ran into barriers. It was tough sledding. Each successive barrier caused a bruise but steeled our determination. One summer, we banged our heads harder than usual.

Organizers of a summer hockey camp refused to enrol our daughter simply because she was a girl; it was not a question of skill or ability. To say the least, it was frustrating, not to mention discriminatory. But it was also part of the process of making cracks. Today, attitudes and practices have changed to the point that the successor school lists a female collegiate hockey player as an instructor on its website.

Changing the status quo takes honesty, decency, conviction and perseverance. It takes a united effort on the part of others. The First Lady spoke about the importance of modelling these principles for the next generation. When she shared her family’s motto, “When they go low, we go high,” she reminded me of my own upbringing. I can still hear my mother’s voice advising me “two wrongs don’t make a right” when I wanted to get even with someone. The high road is the best defence and the best offence against those who vainly try to stop the forward momentum of change. Some patches are not meant to hold.

Even though the purpose of Michelle Obama’s speech was to endorse Hillary Clinton, and therefore political in nature, the First Lady’s remarks transcended the contemporary American political scene.

For me, the key message was this: Like a nick in a windshield from a small piece of gravel, the tiniest crack can spread. So whether one is a politician or an ordinary Joe, our actions matter. Individual stories have a ripple effect. Together we write the story of our communities and our country.

Louise McEwan has degrees in English and Theology. She has a background in education and faith formation. 

Louise is a Troy Media contributor. Why aren’t you?

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