The Biography of Chicagoan and former First Lady, Michelle Obama.

---

In historical writing and analysis, PRESENTISM introduces present-day ideas and perspectives into depictions or interpretations of the past. Presentism is a form of cultural bias that creates a distorted understanding of the subject matter. Reading modern notions of morality into the past is committing the error of presentism. Historical accounts are written by people and can be slanted, so I try my hardest to present fact-based and well-researched articles.

Facts don't require one's approval or acceptance.

I present [PG-13] articles without regard to race, color, political party, or religious beliefs, including Atheism, national origin, citizenship status, gender, LGBTQ+ status, disability, military status, or educational level. What I present are facts — NOT Alternative Facts — about the subject. You won't find articles or readers' comments that spread rumors, lies, hateful statements, and people instigating arguments or fights.

FOR HISTORICAL CLARITY

When I write about the INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, I follow this historical terminology:

• The use of old commonly used terms, disrespectful today, i.e., REDMAN or REDMEN, SAVAGES, and HALF-BREED are explained in this article.

Writing about AFRICAN-AMERICAN history, I follow these race terms:

• "NEGRO" was the term used until the mid-1960s.
• "BLACK" started being used in the mid-1960s.
• "AFRICAN-AMERICAN" [Afro-American] began usage in the late 1980s.

— PLEASE PRACTICE HISTORICISM —

THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PAST IN ITS OWN CONTEXT.

 

---

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 17, 1964, to parents Fraser and Marian Robinson.

Baby Michelle LaVaughn Robinson

Although Fraser's modest pay as a city pump operator led to cramped living in their South Shore bungalow, the Robinsons were a close-knit family, with Michelle and older brother Craig pushed to excel in school. Both children skipped the second grade, and Michelle was later chosen for a gifted-student program that enabled her to take French and advanced biology courses.

Making the lengthy daily trip to attend Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Michelle became student council treasurer and a member of the National Honor Society before graduating as class salutatorian in 1981.

High School Graduation Picture.

She then followed her brother to Princeton University, where she created a reading program for the children of the school's manual laborers. A sociology major with a minor in African-American studies, she explored the connections between the school's black alumni and their communities in her senior thesis, graduating cum laude in 1985.

After earning her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988, Michelle joined the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley Austin as a junior associate specializing in marketing and intellectual property. Assigned to mentor a summer intern, Barack Obama, she deflected his initial romantic advancements before they began dating. They were engaged within two years and married at the Trinity United Church of Christ on October 3, 1992.

Wedding at Trinity United Church of Christ, October 3, 1992.

Michelle left corporate law in 1991 to pursue a career in public service, enabling her to fulfill a personal passion and create networking opportunities that would benefit her husband's future political career. Initially an assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, she soon became the city's assistant commissioner of planning and development. In 1993, she was named executive director for the Chicago branch of Public Allies, a leadership-training program for young adults. Moving on to the University of Chicago as associate dean of student services, she developed the school's first community service program.

When Obama decided to run for Illinois state senator in 1996, Michelle proved a disciplined campaign aide by canvassing for signatures and throwing fundraising parties. However, their victory presented the family with new challenges; following the births of daughters Malia (1998) and Sasha (2001), Michelle often had to juggle the demands of work and child-rearing alone with her husband tending to business in the state capital of Springfield.

Successful despite the difficulties, Michelle was named executive director of community relations and external affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals in 2002. She was promoted to Vice President after three years. She served on the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools boards but eventually scaled back her work hours and commitments to support Obama's entry into the U.S. presidential race.
Initially criticized for her candor, Michelle soon proved an asset on the campaign trail with her knack for delivering relatable stories about her family. In addition to becoming the first African-American first lady upon Obama's Election Day victory in 2008, she became the third with a post-graduate degree.

Michelle sought to tie her own agendas to her husband's larger legislative goals, notably targeting the childhood obesity epidemic while the Affordable Care Act was being created.

In 2009, she worked with local elementary school students to plant a 1,100-square-foot vegetable garden on the South Lawn of the White House. The following year, she launched the Let's Move! Initiative to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

In 2011, Michelle co-founded the Joining Forces program to expand educational and employment options for veterans and to raise awareness about the difficulties plaguing military families. After helping Obama win a second term in office, she formed the Reach Higher initiative to inspire young people to explore higher education and career-development opportunities.

The First Family with Portuguese Water Dogs
Sunny (Male) and Bo (Female).

Continuing the family theme of her campaign speeches, the first lady stressed the importance of remaining a diligent parent and brought her mother to live with her in the White House. She was also recognized for her ability to connect to younger generations by remaining attuned to popular culture. Embracing the use of social media, she encouraged fans to follow her progress on her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. She proved willing to bring her messages to audiences by appearing in humorous sketches online and on television.

Michelle Obama's memoir, "Becoming," topped 3.4 million book sales in its first month.

Michelle Obama started her book tour with guest interviewer Oprah Winfrey at Chicago's United Center.

Published November 13, 2018, "Becoming" is among the fastest-selling nonfiction books in history and already among the best-selling memoirs of all time.

sidebar

The Biography of Chicagoan and 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama II.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.