Black Girls Rock Founder Beverly Bond Slams Critics Who Said Michelle Obama's Racist for Attending

MStars News has learned that Beverly Bond, the founder of Black Girls Rock, has a bone to pick with people who claimed that the FLOTUS is a "racist" for attending her event Black Girls Rock 2015 in March in Newark, New Jersey.

MStars News previously reported that some people were outraged at the first lady, Michelle Obama, for appearing and speaking at the program.

Tonight at 7pm ET, tune in to #BlackGirlsRock on @BETNetworks to watch the First Lady talk about how young people can #ReachHigher in their education.

A photo posted by First Lady Michelle Obama (@michelleobama) on Apr 5, 2015 at 3:46pm PDT

Now BGR founder Beverly Bond once again has to address her haters. During a chat with WBLS, Bond defended Obama and revealed the reason why the FLOTUS attended.

"I thought she's a black girl that rocks. Why wouldn't she be there?" Bond claimed.

As for the people who are calling the show racist, Bond said:

"There is a real blind spot when it comes to privilege in America and not understanding racism and the implications of that. It is very telling when people have no problem tuning into Black Entertainment Television, but when they're tuning in, they're offended by Black Entertainment Television celebrating black women. That says a lot about who's really racist here. And the fact that there needs to be a Black Entertainment Television or a Black Girls Rock or an NAACP. These things came about because of our exclusion. That's one of the reasons why they exist.

So I think it's very telling about where we are with our race relations with people being comfortable enough to tune into BET, not concerned when the images were not so stellar, never voicing their opinions about things that were degrading us or harming us. And to be offended by something that uplifts and empowers something that is an affirmation for young girls, that's very telling.

If people really felt like it was about exclusion or "White Girls Rock Too," then they would have approached it differently. We know White Girls Rock, no one's ever denied it. But to be offended that we have taken this issue of self esteem in our own hands ... the many messages that are directed towards black women and girls that tell us that we are not good enough, that we are not beautiful enough, that we are not deserving enough. There are so many messages in media from cosmetic ads to just being the leading lady opposite men who look like us.

And so this message has been going on for a very long time and for us to actually decide to say something and do something about it and people be offended, that's like telling the slaves not to teach the kids to read. I think it's really racist of them to be offended.

But what I did notice this year was women, of all nationalities but especially White women that jumped in and said to the other women who were offended, 'How dare you? How dare you be offended by our sisters celebrating themselves?' And I thought that that was amazing.

For the record, MStars News reporter Star Connor was also in attendance and spoke with Jill Scott and Black Girls Rock host Regina King about the show.

Check out Bond's full interview below.