First Lady Michelle Obama & Ciara Head To Detroit For College Signing Day At Wayne State University + President Obama Releases Statement On Freddie Gray

 

First Lady Michelle Obama and Ciara teamed up to encourage kids to aim for college degrees during the FLOTUS Reach Higher Initiative event in Detroit.  Get deets inside and read President Obama's statement about Freddie Gray.

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama, Ciara and University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh (atop) attended the first-ever citywide College Signing Day as part Of The First Lady's Reach Higher Initiative in Detroit, Michigan.

The first lady chose to appear at Wayne State University in Detroit to encourage students to enroll and graduate from a higher education institution in what was billed at the city's first "College Signing Day". It's all a part of FLOTUS's Reach Higher initiative, a social movement to inspire young people to take charge of their future by pursuing and completing education past high school.

Mrs. Obama, who attended Princeton University as an undergrad, used her own experiences to inside the audience.  "So here's my message: If I can do it, man, so can you.  I am like you! There's no magic here. I didn't get here because I was rich or famous or had important people looking out for me. I got there because I worked hard. And if you got into college, you have everything you need to get through college.  If you all do all this, you will succeed.  I know you will. You will get that degree. And with that degree you will have the key to building the life of your dreams. This is the answer."

 

And it looks like Ciara has found herself in the good graces of The White House. As an education advocate, Ciara was the perfect choice to join the First Lady.

    

During her words of encouragement to the kids, the "I Bet" singer said, ""Dreams are possible if we believe. Your dreams really start and end in you. Where you can go in life really starts with you." 

In addition to the event in Detroit, there were 600 other College Signing Day events held across the nation today.

 

In other White House related news...

Earlier today, we reported on the latest developments in the investigation of Freddie Gray's death, with the state filing charges against six Baltimore police officers. Now, the POTUS has released an official statement regarding Freddie Gray and the city of Baltimore. His comments were recorded in the Roosevelt Room today as he sat amongst persecuted journalists to mark World Press Freedom Day. It should be noted, POTUS said he had not seen the nature of the charges against the police officers but added:

"It is absolutely vital that the truth comes out on what happened to Freddie Gray. It is my practice not to comment on the legal processes involved. That would not be appropriate. But I can tell you that justice needs to be served. All the evidence needs to be presented. Those individuals who are charged obviously are also entitled to due process and rule of law. So I want to make sure that our legal system runs the way it should. The Justice Department and our new attorney general is in communications with Baltimore officials to make sure that any assistance we can provide on the investigation is provided. What I think the people of Baltimore want more than anything else is the truth. That's what people around the country expect."

 

 

Photos via Getty

 

source: theybf