Presidential Christmas: Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin and Janelle Monae Celebrate With Obamas

The First Family kicked off the Christmas season at the White House on Friday which featured performances from music’s top acts. Janelle Monae and Mariah Carey provided entertainment as the President lit the National Christmas Tree in D.C. According to rap-up.com:

“Even the rain couldn’t put a damper on the Christmas spirit. Despite the wet weather, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, and Janelle Monáe joined President Obama and the First Family for the lighting of the U.S. national Christmas tree in Washington, D.C. on Friday.

The Queen of Soul performed “Joy to the World” while being shielded by an umbrella, and Mariah capped off the event with her classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Janelle Monáe entertained the festive crowd and cozied up to Santa Claus on the red carpet.

President Obama also took time to time to pay tribute to the late great Nelson Mandela during the lighting ceremony. As also reported by rap-up:

“In addition to celebrating the season, Obama took a moment to remember Nelson Mandela. “This year, we give a special measure of gratitude for Nelson Mandela, a man who championed … generosity of spirit,” he said. “In his life, he blessed us with tremendous grace and unbelievable courage. And we are all privileged to live in a world touched by his goodness.”

 

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top