Michelle Obama Gives Impassioned & Encouraging Speech At Black Girls Rock! Awards

Michelle Obama continued spreading her message of education whilst attending the Black Girls Rock! awards ceremony on Saturday (28th March). The First Lady gave an impassioned speech at the event and encouraged the audience, which included many young black girls and women, to have self-confidence, ignore any discouraging voices and continue in their education.

Michelle Obama speaking at the Black Girls Rock! awards ceremony on Saturday.

See More Pictures From the Black Girls Rock! Awards Ceremony.

Obama started her speech by firmly stating "black girls rock!" before describing the young black women in the audience and across the USA as "beautiful, powerful, brilliant and funny."

"I know there are voices that tell you that you are not good enough. That you have to look a certain way; act a certain way; that if you speak up, you're too loud; if you step up to lead, you are being bossy," Obama told the audience."Each of those doubts was like a test that I either shrink away from or rise to meet. And I decided to rise."

Obama continued by emphasising the importance of education. Obama, who was educated at Princeton and Harvard, has been touring Japan and Cambodia as part of her worldwide mission to encourage more educational opportunities for women.

"There is nothing more important than being serious about your education," Obama continued, as Yahoo reports. "That's why I am able to stand here tonight. I want every one of our black girls do to the same, and our black boys."

Black Girls Rock! is a non-profit organisation which seeks to promote the arts for young black women and change how black women are portrayed in the media. DJ and producer Beverly Bond founded the organisation in 2006, in collaboration with BET.

Obama was not nominated for an award at the ceremony but plenty of other influential women were including: actress and singer Jada Pinkett Smith, singer-songwriter Erykah Badu, The Help actress Cicely Tyson, Selma director Ava DuVernay, educator Nadia Lopez and the CEO of CARE USA, Dr. Helene Gayle.

The First Lady is not the only famous female this week to have given young people some words of wisdom. Angelina Jolie, appearing at the 2015 Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards, urged children to celebrate their differences whilst accepting the award for Favourite Movie Villain.