Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama
Michelle Obama is a lawyer and writer who was the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She is the wife of the 44th U.S. president, Barack Obama. As first lady, Michelle focused her attention on social issues such as poverty, healthy living and education. Her 2018 memoir, Becoming, discusses the experiences that shaped her, from her childhood in Chicago to her years living in the White House.
Initial life
Michelle Lawson Robinson was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois, Fraser Robinson, a city water plant employee and captain of the Democratic campus, and a secretary at the catalog store of her mother, Marion Shields Robinson Spiegel.
The Robinson family lived in a small bungalow on Chicago's South Side. Michelle and Craig sleep in shared quarters, living room, with a sheet serving as a makeshift room divider. They were a close-knit family, generally sharing meals, studying and playing sports together.
Education
With an emphasis on education, Michelle learned to read at home at the age of four. Michelle dropped out of second grade. By sixth grade, Michelle was taking classes in her school's gift program,
where she learned French and completed an accelerated course in biology. Michelle attended the Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, the city's first magnet high school for gifted children, where, among other activities, she served as student government treasurer. In 1981, he graduated from the school as a class salutatorian.
College Life
Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Michelle attended Princeton University, earning a B.A. in 1985. in sociology.
She went on to study law at Harvard Law School, where she participated in demonstrations to enroll and recruit more minority students and professors. He was awarded a J.D. in 1988.
Famliy Life
Michelle's mother, Marion Robinson, was a stay-at-home mom. His father was Fraser C. Robinson III, who worked at the city's water purification plant. Robinson's father died in March 1991. The memory of his father inspires him every day. At the same time, his friend Suzanne Alley also died of cancer. These losses made her think about her contribution to society and how well she was impacting the world with her law firm in her first job after law school. He considered it the turning point. Robinson met Barack Obama when he was one of the few African Americans at his law firm Siddeley Austin LLP. Their relationship began with a business lunch and then a community organization meeting where he first impressed her. Before meeting Obama, Michelle told her mother that she only intended to focus on her career. The pair first met in Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing (1989). Barack Obama has said that the couple's initial interest in each other was an "opposite attraction" scenario, as Michelle confronted her two mother-in-laws. The father had stability from home, while he was "courageous". They married on 3 October 1992. After suffering a miscarriage, Michelle underwent in vitro fertilization to conceive her daughters Malia Ann (born 1998) and Natasha (known as Sasha, born 2001). The Obama family lived on the South Side of Chicago, where Barack taught. at the University of Chicago Law School. He was elected to the State Senate in 1996 and to the US Senate in 2004. They are in Washington, D.C. went. After Barack's election, Barack chose to keep his residence in Chicago rather than leave, as he felt it was better for his daughters. During her husband's 2008 campaign for US President, Michelle Obama made a commitment to her two daughters to "stay overnight only once a week - campaign only two days a week and come home by the end of the second day". . Why? He once requested that his then-fiancé meet his potential boss, Valerie Jarrett, when considering a first step in his career; Jarrett became one of her husband's closest mentors. There have been ups and downs in marital relations; The combination of a developed family life and the beginning of a political career led to many arguments about how to balance work and family. Barack Obama wrote in his second book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, that "tired and stressed, we had little time for conversation, too little romance." Despite his family obligations and career, he continued to try to schedule "date nights" while in Chicago. Obama's daughters attended the University of Chicago Laboratory School, a private school. As a member of the school's board, Michelle struggled to maintain diversity in the school; Malia and Sasha attended Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC. In 2008, Michelle stated in an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she did not intend to have any more children. Michelle's mother, Marion Robinson, moved to the White House to care for the children.
Career
After law school, Obama became an associate in the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley & Austin, where she met her future husband, Barack. At the firm, he worked on marketing and intellectual property law. He continues to have his law license, but since he no longer needs it for his work, he has kept it in a voluntary dormant state since 1993.In 1991, he served in public sector positions in the government of the city of Chicago as assistant to the mayor and assistant commissioner of planning and development. In 1993, she became executive director of the Chicago Office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization that encourages youth to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies. He worked there for about four years. and set fundraising records for the organization that stood twelve years after his departure. Obama later said that she had never been happier in her life before working to "make her a public ally".In 1996, Obama served as associate dean of student services at the University of Chicago, where he developed the university's Community Service Center. In 2002, he began working for the University of Chicago Hospital, first as Executive Director of Community Affairs and, from May 2005, as Vice President of Community and Foreign Affairs.She continued to hold the University of Chicago Hospital position during the 2008 primary campaign, but took the part-time cut to spend time with her daughters as well as work for her chosen husband. He later took a leave of absence from his job.According to the couple's 2006 income tax return, her salary from the University of Chicago Hospital was $273,618, while her husband's salary from the United States Senate was $157,082. Obama's net income was $991,296, which included $51,200 earned as a member of Treehouse Foods' board of directors and investments and royalties from his books.Obama buys Treehouse Foods, Inc. (NYSE:THS), a major supplier to Wal-Mart, shortly after her husband's sitting in the Senate, until her husband announced her candidacy. The relationship did not break even after time. presiding; He criticized Wal-Mart's labor policies at the AFL-CIO Forum on May 14, 2007 in Trenton, New Jersey. He also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.In 2021, the former First Lady announced that she was "heading towards retirement". Although she is still active in political campaigns, the former First Lady has said that she is reducing the amount of work she does to spend more time with her husband.
Marriage to Barack
Michelle and Barack married at Trinity United Church of Christ on October 3, 1992.
They met in 1989, at Michelle's first job as a lawyer at the Chicago firm Sidley Austin. Her future husband, Barack, was a summer intern to whom Michelle was assigned as an adviser.Initially, Michelle refused to date Barack, believing that their work relationship would make the romance improper. She eventually relented, however, and the couple soon fell in love. After two years of dating, Barack proposed.
Career in Lawyer and Public Service
After graduating law school in 1988, Michelle worked as an associate in the Chicago branch of the firm Sidley Austin in the area of marketing and intellectual property.In 1991, she left corporate law to pursue a career in public service, working as an assistant to Mayor Richard Daley and then as the assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago.In 1993, Michelle became executive director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a nonprofit leadership-training program that helped young adults develop skills for future careers in the public sector.In 1996, Michelle joined the University of Chicago as associate dean of student services, developing the school’s first community-service program. Beginning in 2002, she worked for the University of Chicago Hospitals, as executive director of community relations and external affairs.In May 2005, Michelle was appointed vice president for community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she continued to work part-time until shortly before her husband's inauguration as president. She also served as a board member for the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Campaigning for President Obama
Michelle first caught the attention of a national audience in 2004 when she stood by her husband's side in a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention. Barack was transferred from Illinois to the U.S. in November. was elected as a senator. In 2007, Mitchell withdrew from his professional work to attend to family and campaign obligations during Barack's run for the Democratic presidential nomination. When they set out on the road, they would leave their daughters with their grandmother Marion, Michelle's mother. Barack eventually won the nomination and was elected the 44th President of the United States. He was inaugurated on January 20, 2009. When her husband sought re-election in 2012, facing a challenging race against Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Michelle diligently campaigned on his behalf. He has traveled the country, spoken and made public appearances. On 6 November 2012, Barack was re-elected for a second term as US President. After Mitt Romney gave up, Michelle along with her husband and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha, took the stage at McCormick Place in Chicago, where President Obama delivered his victory speech.
Notable Speeches
Throughout her career, Michelle has given a number of powerful speeches. A few of the most notable include:
2012 Democratic National Convention, September 4, 2012
In September 2012, Michelle delivered a noteworthy speech at the Democratic National Convention. "Every day, the people I meet inspire me, every day they make me proud, every day they remind me how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on earth," she said. "Serving as your first lady is an honor and a privilege."She went on to praise the Latino community for supporting President Obama and stated that her husband—"the same man [she] fell in love with all those years ago"—understands the American Dream, as well as the everyday struggles of American families, and cares deeply about making a difference in people's lives. Michelle won both public and critical praise for her narrative, called a "shining moment" by The Washington Post.
2016 Democratic National Convention, July 25, 2016
In July 2016, Michelle campaigned in support of former first lady, senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who became the official Democratic nominee for the American presidency and the first woman in the U.S. to win a major political party's presidential nomination. On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Michelle spoke in support of Clinton, who had previously run against Barack during the 2008 primaries, and her vision of a progressive America."...I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, and I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, Black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn," she said. "And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters, and all our sons and daughters, now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States."Michelle continued to campaign for Clinton, speaking out forcefully against the campaign of Republican candidate Donald Trump, who went on to win the presidential election.
Final Speech as First Lady, January 13, 2017
On January 13, 2017, Michelle made her final speech as first lady at the White House, saying "being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life and I hope I've made you proud." In an emotional moment, she addressed young Americans: ”I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong. So don't be afraid. You hear me, young people? Don't be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourself with a good education. Then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise. Lead by example with hope; never fear."
Obama Foundation Summit, November 18-19, 2018
During a conversation with poet Elizabeth Alexander at the Obama Foundation's inaugural youth leadership summit in Chicago, in November 2018, the former first lady spoke about the problems with impulsively firing off thoughts on social media.
"When you have a voice, you can't just use it any kind of way, you know?" she said. "You don't just say what's on your mind. You don't tweet every thought. Most of your first initial thoughts are not worthy of the light of day." It was believed to be a rebuke of President Trump, a notorious Twitter devotee, though Michelle clarified that she was "talking about all of us."Michelle also addressed the topic of protecting women from sexual harassment, a hot-button issue stemming from recent accusations made against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and others in position of power."When we think about women in particular we ask them to speak up. We ask them to speak their mind. We ask them to just say no, to speak out against sexual harassment," Michelle said. "But if we don't teach our young girls to speak at an early age, that doesn't just happen. It takes practice to have a voice. You have to use it again, and again, and again before you can say 'no.' Or 'stop.' 'Don't touch me."
First Lady of the United States (2009-2017)
During her early months as First Lady, Obama visited homeless shelters and soup kitchens. He also sent representatives to schools and advocated for public service. Obama advocates for her husband's policy priorities by promoting bills that support it. She hosted a White House reception for women's rights advocates to commemorate the enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Pay Equity Law. He supported the economic stimulus bill during visits to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the United States Department of Education. On June 5, 2009, the White House announced that Michelle Obama was appointing Susan Sher to replace her then-chief of staff, Jackie Norris. , a long time friend and advisor. Norris became a senior advisor to the Corporation for National and Community Service. In 2009, Obama was named Barbara Walters' Most Attractive Person of the Year. In her memoir, Becoming, Obama describes her four primary initiatives as a First Lady: Let's Move!, Reach Higher, Let Girls Learn, and Joining Forces. Some of First Lady Michelle Obama's initiatives included advocating on behalf of military families, helping working women balance career and family, encouraging national service, and promoting arts and arts education. Obama made supporting military families and wives a personal mission and became increasingly involved with military families. According to his colleagues, the stories of the sacrifices made by these families made them cry. In April 2012, Obama and her husband were awarded the Gerald Washington Memorial Founders Award by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV). The award is the highest honor given to homeless veteran advocates. Acknowledging with Jill Biden, Obama was awarded the award again in May 2015. In November 2013, a Politico article by Michelle Cottle accused Obama of being a "feminist nightmare" for not using her position and education to advocate for women's issues. Cottle tells Linda Hirschman about Obama's modern style, propaganda. Gardening and healthy eating, and the support of military families that "she essentially became the English lady of the manor, the Tory Party, circa 1830s." A prominent critic of Cottle was MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, who rhetorically asked "Are you serious?" Obama's supporters note that the first lady was one of the only people in the administration to address obesity, eating well. through the promotion of habits, which is one of the major US public health crises. In May 2014, Obama joined the campaign to bring back kidnapped school girls in Nigeria. The First Lady tweeted a photo of herself holding a poster with the #bringbackourgirls campaign hashtag. Obama writes in his book about getting help for his initiative that girls producing and singing the song "This is for my girls" is to learn to do. She will run for the presidency herself, like her predecessor Hillary Clinton. A May 2015 Rasmussen poll found that Obama had 22% support for Clinton to win the 56% Democratic nomination, more than likely candidates Elizabeth Warren, Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders. Another poll that month found that 71% of Americans believed Obama should not run for president, with only 14% approving. During a town-hall meeting on January 14, 2016, President Obama was asked if the first lady could be asked to run. He replied, "Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and Michelle is not running for president. I can tell you that." On March 16, 2016, speaking in Austin, Texas, Obama denied that she would ever run for office, citing a desire to "influence as many people as possible in an impartial way". In Becoming's epilogue, Obama writes, "I have no intention of running for office," acknowledging that "politics may be a tool for positive change, but this field is not for me."
