Wellesley Alum Plants Garden with First Lady Michelle Obama

April 25, 2014
Whitney Smith '12 with First Lady Michelle Obama

Whitney Smith '12 joined First Lady Michelle Obama in planting the White House Kitchen Garden earlier in April. Mrs. Obama welcomed six members of FoodCorps, an Americorps program, and local schoolchildren from Washington, D.C., to join her in the annual planting. 

"I was extremely fortunate to serve in my hometown of Detroit with Detroit Black Community Food Security Network," said Smith." I serve in three schools and I love connecting my students to healthy food through nutrition lessons, cooking classes, garden activities. We also spend a lot of our time learning about food justice and food systems, food customs and traditions of the African Diaspora and reclaiming our agricultural narrative."
 
Of her time in the capitol, Smith said, "Planting the spring garden at the White House was a wonderful experience. I planted mustard greens, spinach, and lettuce; all things that I regularly plant with my students (and they were very happy to hear that).  During my trip to D.C. it was very surreal to grasp the bidirectional relationship between the FoodCorps service in my hometown of Detroit and the First Lady's Lets Move Campaign!"

Photo Credit: Eddie Gehman Kohan of Obamafoodorama.