Michele Obama

Michele Obama is an American attorney, author, and former first lady who served from 2009 to 2017. She is married to the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, and was the first African American to hold the position of first lady. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, she is known for her advocacy on issues including poverty, education, nutrition, and physical activity.

Early life and education

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, and grew up in the city's South Side neighborhood. Her father, Fraser Robinson III, worked for the Chicago Water Department, and her mother, Marian Shields Robinson, was a secretary. She attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, graduating as class salutatorian in 1981. She then earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Princeton University in 1985, where she completed a senior thesis on Princeton-Educated African Americans. In 1988, she earned her Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, where she participated in demonstrations advocating for more minority faculty.

Career before the White House

After graduating, she joined the Chicago law firm Sidley Austin, where she specialized in marketing and intellectual property law and later mentored a summer associate, Barack Obama. She subsequently held public sector roles, serving as an assistant to Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley and as the assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago. In 1993, she became the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, a national AmeriCorps program. She later served as Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago and as Vice President for Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

First Lady of the United States

As first lady, she launched several major initiatives. In 2010, she announced **Let's Move!**, a nationwide campaign to combat childhood obesity through better nutrition and increased physical activity, which led to the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. She also championed military families through the **Joining Forces** initiative with Dr. Jill Biden and promoted higher education for young people with **Reach Higher**. She was a strong advocate for the arts, hosting student workshops and performances at the White House, and supported global girls' education through the **Let Girls Learn** initiative. Her speeches at events like the 2012 Democratic National Convention and the 2016 Democratic National Convention were widely acclaimed.

Post–White House life and activities

Following the Obama administration, she and her family settled in Washington, D.C.. In 2018, she published her memoir, *Becoming*, which set records as one of the fastest-selling books of the decade and prompted a global book tour. She and Barack Obama founded Higher Ground Productions, a content creation company that secured a multi-year deal with Netflix. She continues advocacy through the non-profit When We All Vote, which she co-chairs, and launched *The Michelle Obama Podcast* on Spotify. She also remains involved with the Obama Foundation and its programming, including the Girls Opportunity Alliance.

Public image and legacy

Frequently named one of the world's most admired women in polls by Gallup and YouGov, she is recognized as a powerful advocate for health, education, and equality. Her fashion choices, including designs by Jason Wu and Naeem Khan, were closely followed and influenced trends. She received numerous honors, including the Grammy Award for the audio version of *Becoming* and an Emmy Award for the Netflix special *The Light We Carry*. Her legacy is often cited in discussions of modern first ladies of the United States, African American leadership, and the use of platform for substantive policy influence.

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:First ladies of the United States Category:American lawyers Category:Harvard Law School alumni