Michelle Obama talks entrepreneurship, social issues, more at WWDC
The second day of Worldwide Developer Conference opened with a conversation with Michelle Obama, first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, and Lisa Jackson, Apple's Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives.
The two worked closely together for several years, as Jackson formerly served as head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2009 through 2013 before she joined Apple.
Obama discussed her experiences in the White House, including efforts to address childhood obesity, support military veterans and their families, to inspire young people to achieve higher education and global efforts to help girls attend school. She specifically noted that there are still many areas around the world where girls still aren't considered worthy of an education.
"Think about how somewhere in your work, in your life you're bringing somebody else up," Obama encouraged the audience, which packed the massive convention hall to capacity.
After an initial discussion, Jackson presented a series of photographs and asked Obama about the story behind the scenes, starting with an image of the 50th anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in support of voting rights for African Americans--a peaceful demonstration that was met with the violence of Bloody Sunday.
Obama also commented on a photo depicting her "Let's Move" initiative to plant gardens in the White House lawn and involve school children in the cultivation and harvesting of produce, as well as describing a visit to Cambodia where she met girls who worked
Following the hour long discussion, Obama received a standing ovation and was greeted on stage by Tim Cook, who posed with the pair to take a selfie including the audience in the background.
The two worked closely together for several years, as Jackson formerly served as head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2009 through 2013 before she joined Apple.
Obama discussed her experiences in the White House, including efforts to address childhood obesity, support military veterans and their families, to inspire young people to achieve higher education and global efforts to help girls attend school. She specifically noted that there are still many areas around the world where girls still aren't considered worthy of an education.
"Think about how somewhere in your work, in your life you're bringing somebody else up," Obama encouraged the audience, which packed the massive convention hall to capacity.
After an initial discussion, Jackson presented a series of photographs and asked Obama about the story behind the scenes, starting with an image of the 50th anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in support of voting rights for African Americans--a peaceful demonstration that was met with the violence of Bloody Sunday.
Obama also commented on a photo depicting her "Let's Move" initiative to plant gardens in the White House lawn and involve school children in the cultivation and harvesting of produce, as well as describing a visit to Cambodia where she met girls who worked
Thank you @MichelleObama for sharing your views on diversity & innovation, and for encouraging developers to make the world a better place. pic.twitter.com/IlJRBcb5Di
-- Tim Cook (@tim_cook)
Following the hour long discussion, Obama received a standing ovation and was greeted on stage by Tim Cook, who posed with the pair to take a selfie including the audience in the background.
Comments
Close thread fast before the haters come out!
*(I hate to make a negative comment on a DED article, which I usually love. But I think this is an important point/discussion to have).
Unfortunately, it seems that Apple has been taking some unfortunate stances related to politics that go beyond protecting individual rights, and it's not surprising that climate change became part of the discussion, since it's become such a political issue. It's particularly unfortunate as the science is still unsettled: https://forums.appleinsider.com/discussion/comment/2965632/#Comment_2965632 (comment ~52, about the ice core samples).
Just to be clear, overall I think Tim Cook is doing an excellent job, and I couldn’t imagine anyone better for the role at this time in Apple’s history. However, it’s really unfortunate that Apple seems to be making some politically motivated missteps.
While having Michelle Obama talk may indeed be inspiring for many (particularly young women), it is *also* exclusionary to people who don’t identify with her politics, which I think is very unfortunate. Contradictory to many peoples' beliefs, no one side (right or left) has a monopoly on the right answers. Apple should rise above the partisan fray. Apple should be for everyone.
Slightly OT, on the subject of the environment:
I think most people, myself included, feel the environment is a very important issue. To that end, I hope, as both an Apple fan and as an Apple shareholder, that Apple doubles down on recycling, forest preservation/sustainability, and responsibly obtaining resources. I actually feel very strongly about this, and would even be happy for Apple to use its expertise in habitat preservation and recycling to provide environmental initiatives as a service, by giving customers the opportunity to purchase offsets (akin to carbon markets) for their personal recycling and paper consumption (as these particular environmental issues are current, concrete, impactful, and measurable); Apple is one of the handful of institutions that I would actually trust to do something like this.
Some forum-goers behavior has everything to do with why we close them. I've discussed this at length already, regarding front page Google indexing versus Forums versus Political Outsider.
That said, it's time for everybody to read the commenting guidelines, as we've cleaned up some comments over the line of our commenting guidelines. As a reminder, you're all being watched. The ability to comment on political-related posts has only been reinstated because I petitioned for you lot to have it. It can be easily shut down again, as can the entire forums -- as they drive only a small proportion of traffic and take a lot of labor.
Apple let shouldnt be shoving their politics down people's throats.
Cook cant find a keg be thing to say about Trump, but invites obama to a tech conference...
Lots of better folks to talk talk on such subjects.
Which begs the question... isn't this an app dev conference?
Lame. And that's simply the truth.
Let's try and keep it on topic, and please be respectful both about the subject matter and to each other. if not we will simply close the thread.
And by the way there are some things like Immigration where I agree with Trump and believe the democratic party are on the wrong track.
She didn't really talk much about politics, and nobody "shoved" anything down anyone's throat; attendance was *optional*.
Obama really said nothing controversial, so if you object to her chat you might want to look in the mirror and examine why.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/4/25/15419740/obama-speaking-fee
I think next quarter I will vote in favor of any and every shareholder proposal requiring Apple to divulge these kinds of politically motivated expenditures.
Good luck with that. The rest of us shareholders will vote status quo to keep Apple on track to becoming the first $1 Trillion company.
No no reason to have it since there are more qualified people to chat on such things.
It as a a politically motivated move.
So be it. It's Cooks prerogative.
But thats what what it was.
If if you think it belonged at WWDC, more power to you.
I dont. And I have just as much right to say so as you do.
P.S. Tim is homosexual do you think everyone has a positive opinion on that? Should we get someone who is "more widely accepted" to host WWDC also while we pretend to follow your play book?