MY VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE
2009 White House Poetry, Music & Spoken Word
An evening celebrating poetry, music and the spoken word.

SHAILA
Posted 5/15/2009


Arrived at the WHITE HOUSE and the first sign I saw was No photos!!

Now you KNOW I had my camera and was devastated but when I saw others with cameras I asked secret service if I could take pictures He said when you are invited to the White House you are given the courtesy of taking pics any where and everywhere
.....as long as you don't get "paparazzi-ish"

so heres where it began:::::

When you walk into the EAST WING:
You have different pics of the Obamas in the White House to your left and the offices to your right ...you follow a hard wood wall and chandelier trail to the Presidential pictorial hallway filled with pictured memorabilia alongside the wall.. A hallway lined with special white house wax floors and huge windows (remember the pic with the President and Bo the puppy running down the hallway? thats the Hallway!!!) leading to a Marvelous Marble bust of Abraham Lincoln
We were led to the Red Blue & Green room reception area
where we were treated to White House miniature bites and desserts
(if you remember a pic of Obama in the hallway before the Ball THAT WAS THE AREA!!)
SO MUCH HISTORY. Pictures and paintings of past presidents filled the Green room, Blue room and Red room.

The Green Room which used to be Thomas Jeffersons Dining room & was where Abraham Lincoln Lay in state after his assasination.

The Blue Room held furniture from 1917.

One of my Favorite rooms !!! The Red Room has furniture that dates from the years 1810-1830.

My other favorite was the Vermeil room (First Ladies Room) with Portraits of 6 First ladies including Lady Bird Johnson & Jacqueline Kennedy.

The East Room where Union troops once occupied during the Civil War & 7 presidents including John F Kennedy layed in state and mostly all White House social functions take place is where the Music & Poetry event took place.

Music and Poetry Slam:

The children Malia and Sasha and Grandmother were escorted in the East Room first
then Vice President Joe Biden and his wife AND Finally the President and First Lady made their grand entrance holding hands.

Pres Obama addressed us first and then introduced his stunning wife by saying here is the woman who brings poetry into my life everyday Michelle Obama who was absolutely gorgeous in a silk multicolored silver sweater blouse with a neckline that stretched to bare one shoulder& Off White silk capri length pant, The first family sat at one table, Spike Lee and his wife Joe Biden and Wife and Jesse Jackson Jr at the next table. I sat diagonally across from Joe Biden . It was SO intimate I made eye contact with President & First lady so much so that one time I gave the First Lady the thumbs up sign and she smiled. :-)

Michelle encouraged us to" Get Loose"since this was a real casual and loose event.

Performances featured Young and Brilliant new Talents with a dash of the Legendary! Which was a Riveting Shakespearian performance by James Earl Jones. Pianist Eric Lewis who has played with Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove etc Esperanza Spalding a bassist who sings like an angel. Three Time Poetry Slam Champion Joshua Brandon Bennett (took words straight to the emotion and struck a chord with everyone in the room with a piece about his deaf sister brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the room) Hawaiian Slam Champion Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio featured in HBO Brave New Voices. Lin Manuel Miranda who wrote In the Heights the musical Awesome rap. Mayda del Valle Of Def Poetry Jam In Attendance Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Hill Harper Spike Lee & wife Tanya Tatianna Ali.

Media from CNN, and several TV personalities were there Angie Martinez, Big Boi from Hot 97 from our Radio family were in attendance.There were so many video cameras ! I should be in 85percent of the archives from this event.:-)

We went into the movie theater which was red carpeted with red velvet walls I sat in Michelles chair :-)and the white house staff told us he comes in and sits in the seat next to the door so if he needs to make an exit he can do so without interrupting the movie. White house staff were AWESOME.

Secret service were warm and inviting I spoke to one in great length he said in his 21 years on the job (he was a sniper turned secret service agent) he never in his 21 years has seen a more congenial and people person President. He said Bill Clinton came close but as far as the 4 presidents he has worked for there was "a don't speak until spoken to policy". Obama is very different in his approach.

He is the most congenial President he has ever worked with and that Obama has breathed new LIFE into the White House.

We had full run of the East Wing which consisted of the Library, FirstLady room, Red ,Blue and Green room. The west wing is where all the business is conducted and upstairs are the living quarters. the common thread throughout the night was that if you were invited once you'll get invited again under the same regime if that's true I can't wait!!! If not ?I am armed with enough memories to share with my grandchildren.(when I have them)

Click on this link to see My Night at The White House