Even amid social media chaos, leave it to Tina Knowles and others to remind people of their power and grace.
The Knowles family matriarch took to Instagram on Friday to publicly back former first lady Michelle Obama in the wake of a since-deleted racist video shared by President Donald Trump that depicted her and former President Barack Obama as apes. The White House initially argued the video was a play on “The Lion King” before blaming it on a staffer.
In her post, Knowles shared a video of many of Michelle Obama’s stunning looks over the years, set to a remix of Beyoncé’s 2006 “Diva” single, featuring GloRilla’s “TGIF.”
“It’s tough for some people , when you are so damn fly!!!! Classy, intelligent, beautiful, respected!!!” Knowles wrote.
The support arrives as Mrs. Obama’s documentary, “Becoming,” continues to climb the Netflix viewership charts. The 2020 documentary was boosted by viewers, entering the platform’s Top 10 charts with a 13,000 percent surge in viewership. Many considered streaming the film years after its release an act of protest in the wake of Melania Trump’s Amazon-MGM-helmed documentary premiering in theaters across the country.
Centered on the release of her 2020 memoir, “Becoming,” the film blends onstage conversations with Obama with behind-the-scenes footage as she reflects on her public life, identity, and community.
Knowles and Obama have been friends for years, and the two took part in a fireside chat last year for Knowles’ memoir, “Matriarch.”
“It was such a joy speaking with Tina Knowles at her first book tour stop for Matriarch!” Obama shared on Facebook. “Tina, thank you for your honesty, your humor, and your heart. Matriarch is more than a memoir — it’s a love letter to Black women, to our stories, to our families, and to the unshakeable strength that holds us all together. It’s a must-read memoir, and one you’ll want to share with all the women in your life.”
