Mrs. Obama, What About Our Boys?

As Michelle Obama touched down in Denver today to promote her efforts to connect America's public school students with professional mentors, she declined to send an invitation to one population who could most benefit: our city's neglected boys.

The First Lady's packed schedule started with a closed "girls mentoring luncheon" at the Governor's Mansion on Logan Street. Next, she'll gather with other state and national figures in meeting with female students from area schools. The high profile list of mentors included actresses Susan Sarandon and Fran Drescher. Also taking part are beltway heavy hitters, including Labor secretary Hilda Solis, Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson.

The visit comes just days after Obama hosted a "Women of Excellence" outreach event at the White House, where 20 girls were paired with 20 mentors, and participants were treated to appearances by singers Sheryl Crow and Alicia Keys. Obama says she hopes to provide successful female role models to a greater number of students. As the Denver Post reported Friday, "During the launch of the program at the White House 10 days ago, Michelle Obama told the students she felt it important they have mentors who could help them and listen to their concerns."

But what's gender got to do with it?

Especially as Obama lists among her most influential role models her father, a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department, and her brother, Craig. Certainly she's not possibly suggesting that girls need special help in the form of female mentors. That would be both ignorant and sexist.

In Denver today, less than half of all male public school students will ever graduate from high school. Girls, meanwhile, still face discouraging odds, but at least they have almost a 60 percent chance of earning a diploma.

Denver isn't alone in seeing such discouraging outcomes, and the disparities only become more pronounced as students make their way onto our college campuses. According to the National Center For Education Statistics, nearly 57 percent of all college undergraduates are female. For certain racial groups the numbers are even more staggering: just 37 percent of all black college students are male. While feminists like to champion figures concluding that women are drastically underrepresented in some sciences and engineering fields, they neglect statistics demonstrating that women are about half of all medical and law school students today.

The fact is clear: being born a girl today is no longer an impediment to success. To succeed, girls need to hit the books, not rock concerts.

Over the years, I've written frequently about sexism against our boys. Perhaps it seems ironic given that I'm the mother of two girls. I do so, however, knowing that today's girl-power hype sends the wrong message to my own girls. Like professional working moms across the country, I provide my daughters an imperfect but devoted mentor right inside their own home. And gender has nothing to do with it, as they'll also see their father balance life's responsibilities and his own professional ambitions.

To Mrs. Obama, I have this to say. Bring in the rock stars. Bring in the high performing academics. But bring them in for everyone, and after the 3 p.m. bell rings. Don't pat my girls on the head and tell them they need a female mentor to succeed, especially when such help comes at the expense of their male peers.

In an already overly complicated world, I don't need to explain why the First Lady believes that picking winners or losers based on gender is okay. It's not -- never has been and never will be.

Jessica Peck Corry (www.JessicaCorry.com) is a Denver attorney and director of the Independence Institute's Campus Accountability Project.

 

Comments

[DevDov]

One last comment: I don't recall any outrage or comment with Laura Bush making "women's" health a cause. What about prostate cancer? First Lady's can pick and chose causes just as you do in your life. It's not national policy. How many of your causes help boys only in Denver.
The luncheon was separate from the South High event. The boys at South High were not let out of class early to miss the program. One step at a time, is better than apathy and no steps at all.

The following courtesy of FOX 31:
"We were told we get to meet her. So it's going to be very spectacular," says student Michael Streno. He, and about a dozen other students, spent their Sunday preparing welcome signs for Michelle Obama.
Streno is one of just 30 students who'll get to speak to Obama about education Monday afternoon.

[DevDov]

Mrs. Peck, I believe you need to take a chill pill before lashing out against Michelle Obama's agenda. You obvioulsy missed television coverage where a young man at South High commented on his experience and inspiration he derived from the encounter. True most of her time was spent on the female role in society but I believe that is what she has chosen to do. I don't believe she in any way is discriminating against or diminshing the young men in society. There was time spent with all but obviousy too much spent, in your opinion, with the young girls.
Education is very important in the development society and how we approach it should be individual and not totally inclusive at all times due to its complexity. If you, Mrs. Peck, chose to diminish an individuais workl, you set a standard to criticize and diminish the good intentions of anyone who comes into the public arena, thus tearing down rather than augmenting the works and good intentions of our leaders. Cooperation is necessary to achieve any goal. If you chose to see the holes in or spaces in a thesis, you miss seeing the words and meaning. You have chosen to accent the spacing and not the words and meaning.
There is a place for scrutiny and comment, but I believe it's too presumptuous and too divisive to the cause of education reform to attack the First Lady's causes. This is very revealing about your own sense of self. Peace.

[h0tr0d]

I wonder how you would feel if Mr. Obama did the same thing....but with only boys in mind. Of course, that could NEVER happen in our culture.

[FebM]

Good post, its amazing just how our boys have fallen behind, this is a silent disaster and will became a lost generation if nothing is done.