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79-534: Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( née Robinson ; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama , the 44th president of the United States . Raised on the South Side of Chicago , Obama is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School . In her early legal career, she worked at

158-512: A Bachelor of Arts in 1985 after completing a 99-page senior thesis titled Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community under the supervision of Walter Wallace. Robinson recalls that some of her teachers in high school tried to dissuade her from applying, and that she had been warned against "setting my sights too high". She believed her brother's status as a student in good standing (he graduated in 1983) might have helped her during

237-755: A White House reception for women's rights advocates in celebration of the enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Pay equity law. She supported the economic stimulus bill in visits to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and United States Department of Education . Some observers looked favorably upon her legislative activities, while others said she should be less involved in politics. According to her representatives, she intended to visit all United States Cabinet -level agencies in order to get acquainted with Washington. On June 5, 2009,

316-501: A business lunch and then a community organization meeting where he first impressed her. Before meeting Obama, Michelle had told her mother she intended to focus solely on her career. The couple's first date was to Spike Lee 's movie Do the Right Thing (1989). Barack Obama has said the couple had an "opposites attract" scenario in their initial interest in each other since Michelle had stability from her two-parent home while he

395-610: A city water plant employee and Democratic precinct captain , and Marian Shields Robinson (1937–2024), a secretary at Spiegel's catalog store . Her mother was a full-time homemaker until Michelle entered high school. The Robinson and Shields families trace their roots to pre- Civil War African Americans in the American South . On her father's side, she is descended from the Gullah people of South Carolina's Lowcountry region. Her paternal great-great-grandfather, Jim Robinson,

474-548: A continuing relationship, as she had two more mixed-race children and lived near Shields after emancipation, taking his surname (she later changed her surname). As was often the case, Melvinia did not talk to relatives about Dolphus's father. Dolphus Shields, with his wife Alice, moved to Birmingham, Alabama , after the Civil War. They were great-great-grandparents of Robinson, whose grandparents had moved to Chicago. Other of their children's lines migrated to Cleveland , Ohio, in

553-634: A former member of Frank Lloyd Wright 's architecture firm. The South Shore community area has supported the Democratic Party in the past two presidential elections by overwhelming margins. In the 2016 presidential election , the South Shore cast 18,130 votes for Hillary Clinton and cast 373 votes for Donald Trump (96.07% to 1.98%). In the 2012 presidential election , South Shore cast 22,515 votes for Barack Obama and cast 222 votes for Mitt Romney (98.77% to 0.97%). On July 14, 2018,

632-646: A given subject, people commonly tended to ask what her older brother thought. She was on the honor roll for four years, took advanced placement classes, was a member of the National Honor Society , and served as student council treasurer. She graduated in 1981 as the salutatorian of her class. Robinson was inspired to follow her brother to Princeton University , which she entered in 1981. She majored in sociology and minored in African-American studies , graduating cum laude with

711-566: A possible negative effect on their daughters. She says that she negotiated an agreement in which her husband was to quit smoking in exchange for her support of his decision to run. About her role in her husband's presidential campaign, she has said: "My job is not a senior adviser". During the campaign, she discussed race and education by using motherhood as a framework. In May 2007, three months after her husband declared his presidential candidacy, Obama reduced her professional responsibilities by 80 percent to support his presidential campaign. Early in

790-426: A program they called "managed integration", designed to check the physical decline of the community and to achieve racial balance. The initiative was largely unsuccessful on both counts. Per the 1950 census, South Shore had 79,000 residents and was 96% white. A 1951 University of Chicago study estimated that over 20% of the neighborhood’s residents were Jewish. In 1960, the population had dropped to 73,000 residents and

869-544: A questionnaire to African-American graduates, asking that they specify when and how comfortable they were with their race prior to their enrollment at Princeton and how they felt about it when they were a student and since then. Of the 400 alumni to whom she sent the survey, fewer than 90 responded. Her findings did not support her hope that the black alumni would still identify with the African-American community, even though they had attended an elite university and had

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948-625: A selective enrollment school, where she was a classmate of Jesse Jackson 's daughter Santita . The round-trip commute from the Robinsons' South Side home to the Near West Side , where the school was located, took three hours. Michelle recalled being fearful of how others would perceive her, but disregarded any negativity around her and used it "to fuel me, to keep me going". She recalled facing gender discrimination growing up, saying, for example, that rather than asking her for her opinion on

1027-523: Is peddling is the Camelot mystique, why debunk this mystique? On the first night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention , Craig Robinson introduced his younger sister. She delivered her speech, during which she sought to portray herself and her family as the embodiment of the American Dream . Obama said she and her husband believe "that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word

1106-508: Is the name given to a person upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname , the given name , or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth register may by that fact alone become the person's legal name . The assumption in the Western world is often that the name from birth (or perhaps from baptism or brit milah ) will persist to adulthood in

1185-461: Is the masculine form. The term née , having feminine grammatical gender , can be used to denote a woman's surname at birth that has been replaced or changed. In most English-speaking cultures, it is specifically applied to a woman's maiden name after her surname has changed due to marriage. The term né can be used to denote a man's surname at birth that has subsequently been replaced or changed. The diacritic mark (the acute accent ) over

1264-488: Is the son of her paternal grandfather's sister and her husband, and he is about 12 years older than Michelle. He converted to Judaism after college. Robinson's childhood home was on the upper floor of 7436 South Euclid Avenue in Chicago's South Shore community area , which her parents rented from her great-aunt, who had the first floor. She was raised in what she describes as a "conventional" home, with "the mother at home,

1343-523: Is your bond, and you do what you say you're going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them." She also emphasized loving her country, likely responding to criticism for having said that she felt "proud of her country for the first time". The first statement was seen as a gaffe. Her keynote address was largely well-received and drew mostly positive reviews. A Rasmussen Reports poll found that her favorability among Americans reached 55%,

1422-597: The East Side neighborhood to the South Shore Cultural Center in South Shore. Completion of such a project would result in improved access to Chicago's southern lakefront and connect it to neighborhoods such as Hyde Park and Bronzeville to the north. At the northern end of South Shore is the historic district Jackson Park Highlands, one of Chicago's greatest examples of structural history and 19th-century architecture, with an abundance of homes in

1501-493: The Harvard Legal Aid Bureau , assisting low-income tenants with housing cases. She is the third first lady with a postgraduate degree , after her two immediate predecessors, Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush . She later said her education gave her opportunities beyond what she had ever imagined. Michelle's mother, Marian Robinson, was a stay-at-home mother. Her father was Fraser C. Robinson III, who worked at

1580-844: The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools , a private school. As a member of the school's board, Michelle fought to maintain diversity in the school when other board members connected with the University of Chicago tried to reserve more slots for children of the university faculty. This resulted in a plan to expand the school to increase enrollment. In Washington, DC, Malia and Sasha attended Sidwell Friends School , after also considering Georgetown Day School . In 2008, Michelle said in an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that they did not intend to have any more children. The Obamas received advice from past first ladies Laura Bush , Rosalynn Carter , and Hillary Clinton about raising children in

1659-933: The White House . Marian Robinson , Michelle's mother, moved in to the White House to assist with child care. Obama was raised United Methodist and joined the Trinity United Church of Christ , a mostly black congregation of the Reformed denomination known as the United Church of Christ . She and Barack Obama were married there by Rev. Jeremiah Wright . On May 31, 2008, Barack and Michelle Obama announced that they had withdrawn their membership in Trinity United Church of Christ saying: "Our relations with Trinity have been strained by

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1738-456: The e is considered significant to its spelling, and ultimately its meaning, but is sometimes omitted. According to Oxford University 's Dictionary of Modern English Usage , the terms are typically placed after the current surname (e.g., " Margaret Thatcher , née Roberts" or " Bill Clinton , né Blythe"). Since they are terms adopted into English (from French), they do not have to be italicized , but they often are. In Polish tradition ,

1817-517: The fist bump shared by the Obamas the night he clinched the Democratic presidential nomination , describing it as a "terrorist fist jab". Hill was taken off air, and the show was canceled. Obama campaigned for her husband's re-election in 2012. Beginning in 2011, Obama became more politically active than she had been since the 2008 election, though avoided discussions about the re-election bid. By

1896-533: The mayor and as the assistant commissioner of planning and development. In 1993, she became executive director for the Chicago office of Public Allies , a non-profit organization encouraging young people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies. She worked there nearly four years and set fundraising records for the organization that stood twelve years after she had left. Obama later said she had never been happier in her life prior to working "to build Public Allies". In 1996, Obama served as

1975-513: The 20th century. All four of Robinson's grandparents had multiracial ancestors, reflecting the complex history of the United States. Her extended family has said that people did not talk about the era of slavery when they were growing up. Her distant ancestry includes Irish, English, and Native American roots. Among her contemporary extended family is Rabbi Capers Funnye , her first cousin once removed born in Georgetown, South Carolina. Funnye

2054-508: The Carl A. Fields Center), an academic and cultural group who supported minority students. She ran their daycare center, which also offered after-school tutoring for older children. She challenged the teaching methodology for French because she felt it should be more conversational. As part of her requirements for graduation, she wrote a sociology thesis, entitled Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community . She researched her thesis by sending

2133-406: The Chicago office of the law firm Sidley & Austin , where she met her future husband Barack. At the firm, she worked on marketing and intellectual property law. She continues to hold her law license , but as she no longer needs it for her work, she has kept it on a voluntary inactive status since 1993. In 1991, she held public sector positions in the Chicago city government as an assistant to

2212-622: The South Shore Country Club, began as a lakefront retreat for the wealthiest of Chicago's movers and shakers. The firm of Marshall and Fox , architects of the Drake, Blackstone, and Edgewater Beach hotels, were hired to design an opulent, Mediterranean-style clubhouse for a membership that included some of Chicago's most prominent families. The grounds provided private stables and members-only beach, and golf course. Tennis, horseback riding, and skeet shooting were enjoyed by guests

2291-507: The South Shore and surrounding South Chicago neighborhoods is that they are one of the few remaining Chicago lakefront neighborhoods that lack a fully publicly accessible neighborhood shoreline . There are lakefront gaps between the existing South Shore Cultural Center and Rainbow Beach to its south. Even larger masses of lakefront land along the South Chicago neighborhood (at the abandoned USX steel mill) with their beautiful vistas of

2370-487: The University of Chicago asked if there was any single thing about campaigning that she enjoyed; after some thought, she replied that visiting so many living rooms had given her some new decorating ideas. Obama opposed her husband's run for the congressional seat, and, after his defeat, she preferred he tend to the financial needs of the family in what she deemed a more practical way. At first, Obama had reservations about her husband's presidential campaign, due to fears about

2449-603: The White House announced that Michelle Obama was replacing her then chief of staff, Jackie Norris , with Susan Sher , a longtime friend and adviser. Norris became a senior adviser to the Corporation for National and Community Service . Another key aide, Spelman College alumna Kristen Jarvis, served from 2008 until 2015, when she left to become chief of staff to the Ford Foundation president Darren Walker . Birth name#Maiden and married names A birth name

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2528-411: The admission process, but she was resolved to demonstrate her own worth. She has said she was overwhelmed during her first year, attributing this to the fact that neither of her parents had graduated from college, and that she had never spent time on a college campus. The mother of a white roommate reportedly tried to get her daughter reassigned because of Michelle's race. Robinson said being at Princeton

2607-423: The advantages that accrue to its graduates. Robinson pursued professional study, earning her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School in 1988. By the time she applied for Harvard Law, biographer Bond wrote, her confidence had increased: "This time around, there was no doubt in her mind that she had earned her place". Her faculty mentor at Harvard Law was Charles Ogletree , who has said she had answered

2686-408: The associate dean of student services at the University of Chicago , where she developed the university's Community Service Center. In 2002, she began working for the University of Chicago Hospitals, first as executive director for community affairs and, beginning May 2005, as vice president for community and external affairs. She continued to hold the University of Chicago Hospitals position during

2765-479: The attendees to advocate for political awareness, saying, "To anyone who says that church is no place to talk about these issues, you tell them there is no place better – no place better, because ultimately, these are not just political issues – they are moral issues, they're issues that have to do with human dignity and human potential, and the future we want for our kids and our grandkids." Following law school, Obama became an associate at

2844-416: The campaign, columnist Cal Thomas on Fox News described Michelle Obama as an " Angry Black Woman " and some websites attempted to promote this image. Obama said: "Barack and I have been in the public eye for many years now, and we've developed a thick skin along the way. When you're out campaigning, there will always be criticism. I just take it in stride, and at the end of the day, I know that it comes with

2923-423: The campaign, she had limited involvement, traveling to political events only two days a week and rarely traveling overnight; by early February 2008, her participation had increased significantly. She attended thirty-three events in eight days. She made several campaign appearances with Oprah Winfrey . She wrote her own stump speeches for her husband's presidential campaign and generally spoke without notes. During

3002-444: The city's lakefront and Chicago skyline are undergoing development as parks and not completely available for recreational enjoyment by the adjacent neighborhood residents. Presently, Chicago Lakeside Development has proposed plans that call for the completion of this southern portion of lakefront with the development of new parklands, beaches, and a continuous waterfront bicycle and jogging path that will link Calumet Park and Beach in

3081-468: The city's water purification plant. Robinson's father, Fraser , died from complications from his illness in March 1991. She would later say that although he was the "hole in my heart" and "loss in my scar", the memory of her father has motivated her each day since. Her friend Suzanne Alele died from cancer around this time as well. These losses made her think of her contributions toward society and how well she

3160-539: The combination of an evolving family life and beginning political career led to many arguments about balancing 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, much less romance." Despite their family obligations and careers, they continued to try to schedule "date nights" while they lived in Chicago. The Obamas' daughters attended

3239-632: The community clashed with the Chicago Police Department after a local barber, Harith Augustus, was shot multiple times by a police officer at 71st Street and Chappel Avenue. Body camera footage without audio was released immediately contrary to past practices of months-long waits for video in other police shootings. Footage taken by body cameras of other officers has not been released. The Nation of Islam National Center and Mosque Maryam are at 7351 South Stony Island Avenue. The National Black United Front has its headquarters in

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3318-609: The community. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago operates Catholic churches. On July 1, 2020, Our Lady of Peace, St. Bride, and St. Philip Neri in South Shore and Our Lady Gate of Heaven Church in Jeffery Manor will merge. The South Shore community area has five stations along the South Chicago Branch of the Metra Electric District . In South Shore, the South Chicago Branch runs

3397-404: The course of the campaign to be sensitive and economical. Prior to the first debate of the election cycle, Obama expressed confidence in her husband's debating skills. He was later criticized for appearing detached and for looking down when addressing Romney. Consensus among uncommitted voters was that the latter had won the debate. After Obama's speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention ,

3476-472: The divisive statements of Reverend Wright, which sharply conflict with our own views." The Obama family attended several different Protestant churches after moving to Washington D.C. in 2009, including Shiloh Baptist Church and St. John's Episcopal Church on Lafayette Square, known as the Presidents' Church. At the 49th African Methodist Episcopal Church 's general conference, Michelle Obama encouraged

3555-532: The east. The Jackson Park Highlands District is a historic district in the South Shore community area of Chicago. The district was built in 1905 by various architects. It was designated a Chicago Landmark on October 25, 1989. The Jeffery–Cyril Historic District is a national historic district in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The district comprises a cluster of six apartment buildings on Jeffery Boulevard, 71st Place, and Cyril Avenue. All six buildings were built between 1927 and 1929. The district

3634-547: The father works, you have dinner around the table". Her elementary school was down the street. She and her family enjoyed playing games such as Monopoly , reading, and frequently saw extended family on both sides. She played piano, learning from her great-aunt, who was a piano teacher. The Robinsons attended services at nearby South Shore United Methodist Church. They used to vacation in a rustic cabin in White Cloud, Michigan . She and her 21-month-older brother, Craig , skipped

3713-597: The female vote. However, Michelle Obama's favorability ratings remained higher than Ann Romney's at 69% to 52%. Despite Obama's higher poll numbers, comparisons between Obama and Romney were repeatedly made by the media until the election. But, as Michelle Cottle of Newsweek wrote, "...   nobody votes for first lady." During her early months as First Lady, Obama visited homeless shelters and soup kitchens . She also sent representatives to schools and advocated public service. Obama advocated for her husband's policy priorities by promoting bills that support it. She hosted

3792-624: The first lady was found through a CBS News/ New York Times poll conducted in September to have a 61% favorably rating with registered voters, the highest percentage she had polled since April 2009. Obama aimed to humanize her husband by relating stories about him, attempting to appeal to female voters in swing states. Paul Harris of The Guardian said the same tactic was being used by Ann Romney , wife of 2012 Republican candidate Mitt Romney . Polls in October showed their husbands tied at 47% for

3871-535: The highest for her. On an October 6, 2008, broadcast, Larry King asked Obama if the American electorate was past the Bradley effect . She said her husband's winning the nomination was a fairly strong indicator that it was. The same night she was interviewed by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show , where she deflected criticism of her husband and his campaign. On Fox News' America's Pulse , E. D. Hill referred to

3950-412: The late 1990s South Shore had developed into a middle-class African American community. The Chicago Park District purchased the waning South Shore Country Club in 1972, converting it into a cultural center. The Jackson Park Highlands District is a sixteen block area bounded by East 67th Street on the north. East 71st Street on the south, South Cregier Avenue on the west, and South Jeffrey Boulevard on

4029-441: The law firm Sidley Austin where she met her future husband. She subsequently worked in nonprofits and as the associate dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago . Later, she served as vice president for community and external affairs of the University of Chicago Medical Center . Michelle married Barack in 1992, and they have two daughters. Obama campaigned for her husband's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. She

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4108-501: The likes of Jean Harlow , Will Rogers , and Amelia Earhart . Between the first and second World Wars, a housing boom brought a development of luxury cooperative apartments and mansions to the neighborhood surrounding the club. In 1974 the club held its last members-only event. Today, the Chicago Park District owns the property. It has been restored to its original design and is now open to the public. A major drawback to

4187-514: The median of along East 71st Street, making stops at Stony Island , Bryn Mawr , and South Shore stations before turning southeast along South Exchange Avenue to make stops at Windsor Park and Cheltenham stations. In addition, the 75th Street station is on the Greater Grand Crossing side of the border between that area and South Shore. Chicago Public Schools operates district public schools. Urban Prep Academies has

4266-552: The nearby steel industry settled in the area. Following the June 29, 1889 elections, the South Shore community area was annexed into the City of Chicago with the entirety of Hyde Park Township. The location of the World's Columbian Exposition in nearby Jackson Park prompted the sale of land and building lots. As in other parts of Chicago, the desire for affordable housing at the start of

4345-506: The nineteenth century, it became characterized by small settlements including Essex, Bryn Mawr, Parkside, Cheltenham Beach, and Windsor Park. The area is bounded by 67th and 79th streets to the north and south and by Stony Island Avenue and Lake Michigan to the west and east. In 1861, the Illinois General Assembly incorporated Hyde Park Township , which included South Shore. The area's population grew as workers in

4424-405: The normal course of affairs—either throughout life or until marriage. Some reasons for changes of a person's name include middle names , diminutive forms, changes relating to parental status (due to one's parents' divorce or adoption by different parents), and gender transition . The French and English-adopted née is the feminine past participle of naître , which means "to be born". Né

4503-637: The presidency; he criticized Wal-Mart labor policies at an AFL–CIO forum in Trenton, New Jersey , on May 14, 2007. She also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs . In 2021, the former first lady announced that she has been "moving toward retirement". Though she continues to be active in political campaigns, the former first lady has said she is reducing the amount of work to spend more time with her husband. During an interview in 1996, Michelle Obama acknowledged there

4582-465: The press began to emphasize her sarcasm, she toned it down. New York Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd wrote: I wince a bit when Michelle Obama chides her husband as a mere mortal – a comic routine that rests on the presumption that we see him as a god   ... But it may not be smart politics to mock him in a way that turns him from the glam JFK into the mundane Gerald Ford , toasting his own English muffin. If all Senator Obama

4661-487: The primary campaign of 2008 but cut back to part-time in order to spend time with her daughters as well as work for her husband's election. She subsequently took a leave of absence from her job. According to the couple's 2006 income tax return , her salary was $ 273,618 from the University of Chicago Hospitals, while her husband had a salary of $ 157,082 from the United States Senate . The Obamas' total income

4740-399: The question that had plagued her throughout Princeton by the time she arrived at Harvard Law: whether she would remain the product of her parents or keep the identity she had acquired at Princeton; she had concluded she could be "both brilliant and black". At Harvard, Robinson participated in demonstrations advocating the hiring of professors who were members of minority groups. She worked for

4819-487: The re-election campaign, but it was noted that the challenge for the Obama campaign was to use her without tarnishing her popularity. Obama was considered a polarizing figure, having aroused both "sharp enmity and deep loyalty" from Americans, but she was also seen as having improved her image since 2008 when her husband first ran for the presidency. Isabel Wilkinson of The Daily Beast said Obama's fashion style changed over

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4898-399: The second grade. Robinson's father suffered from multiple sclerosis , which had a profound effect on her. Subsequently, she was determined to stay out of trouble and perform well in school. By sixth grade, Michelle joined a gifted class at Bryn Mawr Elementary School (later renamed Bouchet Academy). She attended Whitney Young High School , Chicago's first magnet high school , established as

4977-540: The style of American Foursquare , Colonial Revival , and Renaissance Revival on suburban-sized lots. Located in the Bryn Mawr section of South Shore is the Allan Miller House at 7121 South Paxton Avenue. Commissioned by advertising executive Allan Miller, this home is an excellent example of Prairie-style architecture . Built in 1915, it is Chicago's only surviving building designed by John Van Bergen,

5056-523: The term z domu (literally meaning "of the house", de domo in Latin ) may be used, with rare exceptions, meaning the same as née . South Shore, Chicago Like all of what is now the City of Chicago, the South Shore community area was originally inhabited by a number of Algonquian peoples , including the Mascouten and Miami . After the expulsion of Native Americans by white settlers in

5135-511: The territory." By the time of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in August, media outlets observed that her presence on the campaign trail had grown softer than at the start of the race, focusing on soliciting concerns and empathizing with the audience rather than throwing down challenges to them, and giving interviews to shows such as The View and publications like Ladies' Home Journal rather than appearing on news programs. The change

5214-488: The time of the election cycle, she had developed a more open public image. Some commentators viewed her as the most popular member of the Obama administration, noting that her poll approval numbers had not dropped below 60% since she entered the White House. An Obama senior campaign official said she was "the most popular political figure in America". The positive assessment was reasoned to have contributed to her active role in

5293-562: The twentieth century led to the large scale construction of bungalows . Unlike other areas in which bungalows were built en masse, South Shore's bungalow residents were largely affluent . Additionally, South Shore was the destination for white flight from Washington Park as immigrants and African Americans moved there. After racially restrictive covenants were declared unconstitutional by Shelley v. Kraemer , African American families began to move into historically white neighborhoods such as South Shore. The South Shore Commission initiated

5372-528: Was "adventurous". They married on October 3, 1992. After suffering a miscarriage, Michelle underwent in vitro fertilisation to conceive their daughters Malia Ann (born 1998) and Natasha (known as Sasha, born 2001). The Obama family lived on Chicago's South Side, where Barack taught at the University of Chicago Law School. He was elected to the state senate in 1996 and to the U.S. Senate in 2004. They chose to keep their residence in Chicago after Barack's election rather than to move to Washington, DC, as they felt it

5451-458: Was $ 991,296, which included $ 51,200 that she earned as a member of the board of directors of TreeHouse Foods and investments and royalties from his books. Obama served as a salaried board member of TreeHouse Foods , Inc. ( NYSE :  THS ), a major Wal-Mart supplier from shortly after her husband was seated in the Senate until she cut ties shortly after her husband announced his candidacy for

5530-413: Was 90% white and 10% black. Like many other urban neighborhoods across the United States undergoing racial change and tensions, many of the white residents began to choose to move to new locations. By 1970, the population had risen to 81,000 and was 69% black and 28% white as South Shore itself became a victim of white flight . By 1980, the population had fallen slightly to 78,000, but was 94% black. By

5609-471: Was a "strong possibility" her husband would begin a political career, but said she was "wary" of the process. She knew it meant their lives would be subject to scrutiny and she was intensely private. Although she campaigned on her husband's behalf since early in his political career by handshaking and fund-raising, she did not relish the activity at first. When she campaigned during her husband's 2000 run for United States House of Representatives , her boss at

5688-525: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 1986. The South Shore Bungalow Historic District is a residential historic district in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The district contains 229 Chicago bungalows and twenty other residential buildings built between 1911 and 1930. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 2008. The South Shore Cultural Center , previously

5767-507: Was better for their daughters. Throughout her husband's 2008 campaign for U.S. president , Obama made a "commitment to be away overnight only once a week – to campaign only two days a week and be home by the end of the second day" for their two daughters. She once requested that her then-fiancé meet her prospective boss, Valerie Jarrett , when considering her first career move; Jarrett became one of her husband's closest advisors. The marital relationship has had its ebbs and flows;

5846-540: Was born into slavery in 1850 on Friendfield Plantation , near Georgetown, South Carolina . He became a freedman at age 15 after the war. Some of Obama's paternal family still reside in the Georgetown area. Her grandfather, Fraser Robinson Jr., built his own house in South Carolina. He and his wife LaVaughn (née Johnson) returned to the Lowcountry from Chicago after retirement. Among her maternal ancestors

5925-514: Was her great-great-great-grandmother, Melvinia Dosey Shields, born into slavery in South Carolina but sold to Henry Walls Shields, who had a 200-acre farm in Clayton County, Georgia , near Atlanta. Melvinia's first son, Adolphus T. Shields, was biracial and born into slavery around 1860. Based on DNA and other evidence, in 2012, researchers said his father was likely 20-year-old Charles Marion Shields, son of Melvinia's master. They may have had

6004-490: Was influencing the world from her law firm in her first job after law school. She considered this a turning point. Robinson met Barack Obama when they were among the few African Americans at their law firm, Sidley Austin LLP (she has sometimes said only two, although others have noted that there were others in different departments). She was assigned to mentor him while he was a summer associate . Their relationship started with

6083-465: Was reflected in her fashion choices, as she wore clothes that were more informal clothes than her earlier designer pieces. Partly intended to help soften her public image, her appearance on The View was widely covered in the press. The presidential campaign was Obama's first exposure to the national political scene; she was considered the least famous of the candidates' spouses. Early in the campaign, she told anecdotes about Obama family life; however, as

6162-444: Was the first African-American woman to serve as first lady. As first lady, Obama worked as an advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy eating. She has written three books including her The New York Times best selling memoir Becoming (2018) and The Light We Carry (2022). Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois, to Fraser Robinson III (1935–1991),

6241-502: Was the first time she became more aware of her ethnicity and, despite the willingness of her classmates and teachers to reach out to her, she still felt "like a visitor on campus". There were also issues of economic class. "I remember being shocked," she says, "by college students who drove BMWs . I didn't even know parents who drove BMWs." While at Princeton, Robinson became involved with the Third World Center (now known as

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