Yup. True sign of a Black American girl (especially one from a city). Seriously, that was one specific area where we could tell in college who the Black Americans were - when we had our spring semester, campus-wide Block Party (yes, on a predominantly white campus), we'd be the ones jumping double dutch (Anyone else notice that distinction?). Maaaannn... we'd be gettin' it too. I ain't mad at Michelle.

In all though, Black folks (especially women) are a perpetual museum piece. We knew our event in college would draw stares of wonderment at the activities of this ethnic tribe, but we chose to not care. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

LOVE HER!!!!!!!

Although, I'm ashamed to say I can't double dutch to save my life. I can do the damn thing with a hula hoop, though. IDo I have to turn in my black girl membership card :(

Sorry, that should have said "Do I have to turn in my black girl membership card?"

No Tamara.. 'cause I can't double dutch to say my life, I was the perpetual twirler...but II can play jacks to twelvsies, kiss them to the sky, on the concrete, without a scratch! lol!

I love me some Michelle. I was a suburban girl, but we still know a thing a two about some double dutch.

it IS in order. you know, this is how we celebrate our win of the 2016 olymp........

wait.

Don't you just a love a good staged photo-op? I know I do.

@ Scott,

Don't you just love a bitter sour puss. I know i don't.

But N-E way; yeah go Shelly, go Shelly, I wonder how those girls felt turning for the First Lady.

there were some pictures that you could just see that the First Lady was reliving her childhood and enjoying herself.

Apparently Mrs. O can't double-dutch to save her life, either, LOL. She was tripping all over the thing. But she can hula hoop!

Sometimes, she just make me proud that she's a proud Black woman. She doing the same things I try to teach my daughter I saw my sisters doing growing up. Our kids need to see that. She is "real". Can't double-dutch proplery on grass, but it might have been a little "too" Black to take it to the street or on Pennsylvania Ave., like back in the day.

Maaaaaan!!!! She is so Super CooL!!!! I learned how to double dutch in the fifth grade! Right along with hopscotch, chinese jump rope and playing jacks. And I loved me some theather ball!

@ Blutopaz: If you just ignore him (Scott) he really doesn't exist does he? Just a thought....Luv, Peace, and hair grease!! ;)

I'm a haole/hawaiian for white gal and like Obama grew up in Hawaii - I body sufed my teen years away!!! But in elementary we jumped double dutch ALL the time - Maybe it was a Hawaiian "thing" - not too sure - I do remember jumping to M I S S I S S I P P I - it was SO much fun - magical when I look back on those growing years. No computer games - just swimming and more swimming, bike riding, flying kites, playing jacks, hiking in the mountains, playing monopoly when it rained - we NEVER watched television - we were always outside playing. I have a photo of me jumping double dutch - must fine it!! We used to hula hoop and hula hoop some more and play yo' yo's - I was so good at that - I'm having a big birthday in a few weeks and rumor has it that I'm getting a sterling silver yo yo for my birthday!!
Aint life good!!

Scott - whoever you are it is so not necessary to make such comments.

When I think of Michelle I think natural, fun spirit, intelligent, stylish, laughing, serious, caring, listening, sharp, educated, interesting, interested, super mother, super wife, super daughter, super sibling, Who in this whole world would not want to be her friend - to even meet her would be a total highlight of my life - she represents so much for all women. Thanks Michelle for being Michelle!!

Scott, eat sour grapes much?

I really liked this image that I saw over at Shakesville - it's a close up from the double dutch picture you have. I love the expression on her face, mid-way between intense concentration and laughing out loud.
http://www.daylife.com/photo/03eIecBaps05c?q=michelle+obama

I didn't get the hang of hula hooping until I was 15 and I'm still shaky on it.

But I remember double dutch during recess when I was in 4th and 5th grades. All the girls (including the teacher) would go to one end of the asphalt while all the boys played soccer or basketball on the other end. I was a master turner! I was a decent jumper but I remember getting smacked by the ropes several times because I didn't jump in right. I can't wait until spring...I'm going to the store to buy some jump ropes...

I forgot to say that I'm a suburbanite/small town girl, too, but my cousins in Chicago are the ones who taught me how to double dutch. :)

Love, love LURVE me some Michelle Obama. Just strain your brain for a moment...Imagine any other First Lady hula hooping. NOT!!! LOLOLOL

But for real, even if she could jump double dutch (which it looks like she can't... LOLOL.) Real double dutchers wouldn't be caught dead jumping on grass. You need concrete or blacktop to really get it in!!

"Lum dee Lum dee Laaa" from Smokey Robinson's Mickey's Monkey

or really old school... " Jack be nimble Jack be quick Jack jumped over the candle stick. "

I don't think Scott is sour. He makes a critical point.

I am using this blog and a few others to make a case in a closed presentation about the current measure of Black Women's centric intellectual discourse, intellectual trends, and status quo sensibilities. I am Black and a woman and I have yet to see any intellectual enrichment as a trend since the election, the new presidency, and zeitgeist of Michelle Obama.

There is an equation that Black Women abide to follow in finding meaning that is overwrought in defense of needing to support "everything Michelle Obama" which dehumanizes her in the process of diefying her when the actions she exhibited and mostly exhibited is normal life. The action here is merely just jumping rope and hula hooping. It's not rocket science and I suspect other First Ladies of the US know/knew how to hula hoop at least. It's quite "American" and not just Black.

This canonizing of "all things Michelle Obama" is not our sojourn. It's not spiritual and it does not have a cumulative value for anything more than the immediate stimuli of processing the photo op to maybe validate one's existence in needing to see her like you. But it only equates to ritual of needing to then meet for the religion of basking at her celebrity significance as if it is special when it does not have any substantial outcome other than what is the superficial neediness of the cult of personality.

This blog is rich in substance for research to not simply understand the lack of intellectual progress of Black Women who think they are intellectuals.

I grew up double-dutching and teaching my students to double-dutch as well as I sang Miss Mary Mack (all dressed in black with silver buttons all down her back) and Down, Down Baby Down, Down (a rollercoaster) songs but I don't see any significance in the First Lady replicating memories of her childhood and being crystallized as anything more than that in setting up a photo op to sell fitness/health. The addiction to this woman to pull out more superhuman qualities to marvel at and praise is astounding at how parochial our people are in valuing the littliest things when not seeking more or knowing to seek more.

Rendering the photo for others to see to witness as living history is one thing but it still boils down to the fact that Black Women value the sentimentality of nothingness in the real scheme of things that Michlle does not show you a picture of. She most definitely handles more sophisticated issues other than feeding the zombie Black Women's appetite for ceremonial nothingness of strategy used against them to keep them fed.

Papoose, I got to question your Blackness. Based on the fact that you sound like Michael eric Dyson saying a whole lot of hockey and not saying jack and then your name. She did a "sister" thing. Obviuosly you don't understand, therefore I am requesting to see your African American card. Some of you all kill me on here. "We's sick, Boss".

Maybe Mrs. Obama might have a more useful photo-op by getting her kids vaccinated against the H1N1 virus b/c apparently they aren't. I mean it is a national emergency, right?

http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/10/08/first-daughters-not-vaccinated-against-h1n1/

Maybe, bitter election losing ofay trolls and porchies like papoose chugging the hateraid can learn to deal with the fact that America and a third of the world left them behid on the Obama train last November. I wonder if bush reading my pet goat while America was under attack and "staged" photo ops of him playing grab ass at the bejing olympics did anything to help restore the 200 years of honor and respect pissed away in 8 years. Methinks not! Work on getting grip, we know you're still in the depression stage of grief but the final and ultimate relief to come is acceptance. Good luck in 2012! :D

Perhaps it's just my lack of intellectual progress and enrichment (no doubt due to enjoying looking at pictures of the Obama family), but aren't the behaviors you are criticizing Black women of exhibiting human behaviors? You know, being sentimental, giving relevance to the insignificants in the scheme of things. As I see it, in the greater scheme of things, your research is insignificant.

Why are Black women displaying common human tendencies noteworthy?