Virginia McLaurin, who went viral dancing with the Obamas, dies at 113

Virginia McLaurin, who went viral for spontaneously dancing with former President Obama and Michelle Obama throughout a 2016 Black Historical past Month celebration, died on Monday. She was 113 years previous.

McLaurin handed away early Monday morning after being positioned underneath hospice care a couple of days prior, a publish on her Fb web page states.

“Whereas finest identified for her go to to the White Home in 2016, she spent a long time volunteering 40 hours per week at colleges after she retired,” the publish reads. “She had a unprecedented reminiscence, sharing tales of household’s life as sharecroppers in South Carolina earlier than touring north within the Nice Migration.”

McLaurin was born in South Carolina in 1909 and later lived in Washington, D.C.

She had a social media marketing campaign to fulfill Obama, and in February 2016, McLaurin fulfilled her dream of visiting the White Home as she joined the primary couple at an occasion to have fun Black Historical past Month.

A White Home video of her bobbing as she met the primary couple garnered greater than 4 million views.

“I need to be such as you once I develop up,” Michelle Obama instructed McLaurin within the clip because the then-106-year-old broke out right into a dance.

“She’s dancing. Come on! So, what’s the key to nonetheless dancing at 106?” President Obama adopted up.

A memorial fund has been created within the supercentarian’s honor, which has raised almost $4,000 as of Tuesday night.

The organizers stated the funds can be used to cowl McLaurin’s funeral and burial bills, additionally encouraging admirers to “look out for the opposite Ms. McLaurins in your neighborhood,” noting her lengthy document of volunteering.

McLaurin within the 2016 clip went on to say she by no means thought she would reside to go to the White Home, particularly with a Black president in residence.

“You could have simply made our day. You recognize that? That vitality,” Michelle Obama stated at one level.

“Nicely, you made my day,” McLaurin responded.

After assembly the Obamas, McLaurin later declared, “I can die smiling now.”