Former first lady Michelle Obama will be appearing on the last episode of ABC’s “Black-ish” which will begin airing its eighth and final season in January. Obama will also be teaming up with one of the show’s stars, Yari Shahidi, in her latest promotion for her bestselling memoir Becoming, which will center on college students.
Shahidi stars on the series’ spin-off “Grown-ish,” which focuses on young adults and college life. Besides acting, Shahidi is enrolled at Harvard University. The two will appear in a livestream conversation with students from 22 schools throughout the country on Nov. 9, 2021, at 1 p.m. EST, which will air on BET at a later date.
“I can’t wait to hear from students across our country as they navigate their studies and lives during this unprecedented time. As a first-generation college student myself, I remember my own struggles to manage classes and figure out my place on campus — and I can’t even imagine how much harder it is to do it during a pandemic, when so much feels like it’s constantly up in the air. I just hope they realize that moments of self-doubt and fear are completely natural, but if we embrace those moments — if we own our stories and use our voices — we can share the very best parts of ourselves with the world,” Obama told ABC News in a statement.
Obama’s book was published in 2018 and has sold nearly 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. The book has been assigned reading for many college courses ranging from civil rights history to Black women’s studies. Obama and Shahidi will hold the live discussion from Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland. The Crown Publishing Group will also be donating 100 copies to 12 schools in the Maryland Community College Consortium on the day of the event.
