Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
First Lady Mrs. O will join Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today in unveiling a bust of abolitionist and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth in Emancipation Hall at the newly opened Capitol Visitor Center. Click here to read Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" speech delivered in December 1851. The bust is the work of sculptor and painter Artis Lane, the granddaughter of abolitionist educators. The LA Times has a profile of Ms. Lane, here. First Lady Mrs. O spoke briefly at today's event. From the AP:
"I hope that Sojourner Truth would be proud to see me, a descendant of slaves, serving as the first lady of the United States of America," Mrs. Obama said to loud applause at a ceremony at the Capitol Visitor Center.
"Now many young boys and girls, like my own daughters, will come to Emancipation Hall and see the face of a woman who looks like them," Mrs. Obama said.
Mrs. O wears a striped shirt dress by Sophie Theallet, a French designer living in the United States. To show her Spring 2009 collection (the same collection Mrs. O's dress originates from), Ms. Theallet chose a full casting of black models, notable in an industry criticized for its lack of diversity. The designer told Fashion Week Daily, "It came totally naturally with my collection because I love colors and I think colors are really beautiful on dark skin. And these girls are like princesses, and I want to show that." Prior to launching her own line in Spring 2006, Ms. Theallet spent 10 years alongside Azzedine Alaia, another Mrs. O favorite. Style.com caught up with the designer this afternoon to get her reaction:
"It was the best gift—it blew my mind!' Théallet said. "I am really proud—it’s the first word that comes to me. I love the way she is, the way she talks…and she looks happy in that dress."