Former First Lady Michelle Obama says she is “devastated” following the shooting of Jacob Blake and the deadly protests that took place in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday night (Aug. 25). She took to social media to share a lengthy message addressing the recent events that have taken place in this country.
“I’m just devastated by the shootings in Kenosha,” she wrote. “First, the seven shots from a police officer’s gun at Jacob Blake’s back as his children looked on. Then, two nights later, the bullets that killed two protesters, with a young man only 17 years old arrested and charged with homicide.”
Blake was shot several times in his back by a police officer just moments after he reportedly de-escalated a fight between two women. He is currently in the hospital paralyzed from the waist down.
Following the shooting, protesters took to the streets to demand justice for Blake. Tuesday night’s protests turned deadly after 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse fatally shot two men and injured a third.
“These past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about what our kids are seeing every day in this country — the lack of empathy, the division stoked in times of crisis, the age-old and systemic racism that’s been so prominent this summer,” Obama wrote.
“Sometimes they see it on the news,” she continued. “Sometimes they see it from the White House Rose Garden. And sometimes they see it from the back seat of a car. Like many of you, I’m exhausted and frustrated right now. It’s a weight that I know Black and brown people all across the country are shouldering once again. And we’re so often left wondering how things will get better.”
The former First Lady then shared a link to a list of resources, which are available through the Obama Foundation. She also encouraged everyone to register to vote and make sure their information is accurate and updated.
Check out Obama’s full statement below.