Here is a picture of myself posing next to a painted-portrait of "LadyBird" Johnson in the White House. Yes I was an invited guest into the White House yesterday, and it was a day that I will never forget! I am 24 years old and I have not just seen the the White House, but I was an invited guest as well, wow I could a die a happy woman with that experience alone.
I was a volunteer/chaperon for this event hosted by the Obama's called A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement: In Performance at the White House. This event featured a live concert with performances by Smokey Robinson, The Freedom Fighters, Jennifer Hudson, Bob Dylan, and John Mellencamp just to name a few of the artists. If you don't know who Yolanda Adams is, then look her up because she was the highlight of the entire show! She is a Gospel Singer that can sing anyone's heart out. This concert may seen on PBS Thursday night.
The day also included educational experience for 112 high schoolers from selected high schools across the nation. These lucky kids were chosen to take part in a journey learning about how music empowered, strengthened and inspired different Civil Rights Movements all across the country in the 1960s. The journey included a new documentary created by Danny Glover, a press conference with Smokey Robinson and other musical guests as well as the First Lady.
But the beauty of life is that always takes interesting twists and turns on you, even when you are organized to a tee. Well life might not have taken a different turn, but the weather in Washington DC sure did! DC is experiencing it's worst snow storm since 1899. While the city was closed even before our arrival on Monday due to blizzard like conditions, with storm conditions worsening on Wednesday. Wednesday (today) was supposed to be the day that the education program and concert were supposed to be happening. While we all were expecting snow, we were not expecting a BLIZZARD. But as they say in Hollywood...the show must go on!
The show did go on, a day earlier a few musicians and high schools short! We moved all of the program to yesterday and ran it to the best of our ability. I was in charge of conducting a press conference, which actually in turn ended up being a lecture-story time about music and the civil rights told through the voices of some of the artists performing. It was so amazing to hear countless stories from these musicians that not just lived through this period, but were actively engaged in the whole process.
I think the best part of the day was seeing the kids so inspired, so fascinated and so thankful to be part of this experience, and of course shaking hands and waving to the President and the First Lady too! For one girl it was her first time outside of California and here she was in the White House. For another girl it was the chance to meet Smokey Robinson, an idle of hers because he was like a brother to the late and great Michael Jackson. Talking with one boy yesterday changed his life! But for an entire group of mostly boys and mostly African-American yesterday was the chance to show off their brand-new, savvy, outfits, scarfs, and hats all donated by the LA Kings because these students did not own nice outfits and could not afford them! It was a chance for those boys to truly witness a dream. For a group of students from Lakewood, Ohio they were invited to sit close to the President and First Lady during the concert. I remember seeing one boy so happy, he had tears in his eyes. It was moments like that, that made yesterday special and continue to inspire and motivate myself to become a teacher.
Overall this was one amazing, heartwarming, rejunviating, special and beautiful days of my life! I was so blessed to not only have the opportunity to go to the White House, but I met the President, the First Lady and saw 112 high-schoolers lives change as well. Wow what a day!
Okay for all of you that have never been to the White House, let me show you a bit more of it! 
