Virginia McLaurin, of Washington, D.C., has lived to see a lot of things during her 106 years on earth, but never did she expect to pay a visit to the White House.
Well, she did last week, during a Black History Month celebration, hosted on Thursday by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Goodness, did she celebrate – shimmying as she held both their hands and sang their praises.
“She’s 106?” the president can be heard asking in a video that was uploaded to the White House’s Facebook page late Sunday. By 8:30 a.m. Monday, the video received 21 million views.
“No, you are not,” the first lady joked, adding: “I want to be like you when I grow up.”
From the Washington Post:
“I thought I would never live to get in the White House,” said McLaurin, who was born in 1909 in South Carolina, worked as a seamstress for most of her life and has been a widow for more than 70 years.
But her amazement went beyond merely making it inside the hallowed building. She was particularly bowled over to be meeting America’s first African American president.
“I tell you, I am so happy,” she said, looking up at Obama before turning to the first lady. “A black president, yay, and his black wife.”
Source: Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson
The Post reports that the meeting occurred after more than a year of social media campaigns, including submitting a petition to the White House asking to meet with the president.
SOURCE: The Washington Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty | VIDEO CREDIT: Facebook
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The Best Thing You Will See All Day: 106-Year-Old Woman Celebrates Meeting Obamas At White House was originally published on newsone.com
