‘We’ll be looking across the continent for young people — just like you — to help lead the way,’ first lady says of next week’s trip. By Eric Ditzian Michelle Obama Photo: Getty Images First lady Michelle Obama has made youth leadership, education and health and wellness prime focuses of her work in the White House. Next week, Mrs. Obama will take that laudable agenda worldwide during a trip to Africa with her mother and daughters — and MTV and BET are coming along for the ride. “We know that Africa is a fundamental part of our interconnected world,” Obama said of her upcoming trip. “And when it comes to meeting the challenges of our time, whether it’s climate change or extremism, poverty or disease, the world is looking to African nations as vital partners. And we’ll be looking across the continent for young people — just like you — to help lead the way.” The first lady and her family will be making stops in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, and Gaborone, Botswana, in an effort to engage and empower youth around the globe. MTV News and its social platforms will be covering the journey, and BET will air a 30-minute news special called “Impact on Africa: On a Mission With the First Lady,” hosted by journalist Lola Ogunnaike and featuring exclusive footage of the Obamas at official events. “We’re so excited to engage with BET and MTV’s audiences throughout this historic trip,” said Kristina Schake, communications director for the first lady. “Mrs. Obama has called on young people at home, in Africa, and around the world to follow the trip and connect with each other. We know that young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also are the leaders of today, and we want their voices to be heard.” Mrs. Obama’s trip is a continuation of her work to engage young people at home and abroad, from mentoring students in the United States and encouraging them to gain international experience, to encouraging young people to excel academically, serve and lead during her visits to Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom. The first lady plans to deliver the keynote address to a U.S.-sponsored Young African Women Leaders Forum in South Africa and visit the Johannesburg Apartheid Museum and Robben Island Prison Museum in Cape Town, where Nelson Mandela and many anti-apartheid leaders were imprisoned. BET’s special will also include a “Reporter’s Journal,” during which Ogunnaike will write blog entries along the route capturing special moments of the trip and her personal experience. “I look forward to having you with us on this journey, and I look forward to the connections that you’ll build, the lessons you’ll learn and the impact that you’ll make with young people around the world for months and years to come,” the first lady said. To help spread the word about the trip, follow updates about the goings-on and interact with others, head to Act.MTV.com or get in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #youngafrica.
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Michelle Obama Is Off To Africa To Find Young Leaders
