NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
First lady Michelle Obama addressed the African Methodist Episcopal Church convention Thursday at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville.
About 10,000 people listened to the first lady speak for about 30 minutes on the importance of community involvement. She did not address the Supreme Court's earlier ruling on health care.
Michelle Obama acknowledged the heritage of the AME tradition as a contributing factor to her and her husband's rise to the White House.
Her speech avoided most political issues, but she did stress several times the importance of getting out to vote, touching on concerns about the current generation's lack of involvement.
"Doing the impossible is the root of our faith. It is the history of our people and the lifeblood of this nation," Obama said.
One of her major themes was that change starts at home.
"It's an honor that the first lady of the United States, a sitting first lady, is going to speak to us as an official White House visit," said conference spokeswoman Phyllis Qualls-Brooks. "It's unbelievable, and we are of course delighted, thrilled and it's historic."
When the first lady was in Nashville earlier this year, she attended a downtown luncheon to raise campaign money, but this was an official White House visit.
This is the first time the AME conference has been held in Nashville since 1872.
After her speech in Nashville, Michelle Obama headed to Memphis to speak at a private fundraiser in Memphis.
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