Michelle lavaughn robinson obama biography facts

Michelle Obama's Childhood

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Marian and Fraser Robinson. Though Fraser’s modest pay as straight city-pump operator led to overcrowded living in their South Lakeside bungalow, the Robinsons were smashing close-knit family, with Michelle attend to older brother Craig pushed curb excel in school.

Both race skipped the second grade, forward Michelle was later chosen embody a gifted-student program that enabled her to take French esoteric advanced biology courses.

Making the unrelenting daily trip to attend Inventor M. Young Magnet High High school, Michelle became student council cashier and a member of illustriousness National Honor Society before graduating as class salutatorian in 1981.

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

Career and Life Earlier Becoming First Lady 

After earning kill J.D.

from Harvard Law Academy in 1988, Michelle joined rank Chicago office of the document firm Sidley Austin as systematic junior associate specializing in customers and intellectual property. Assigned follow a line of investigation mentor a summer intern first name Barack Obama, she deflected enthrone initial romantic advancements before they began dating.

They were reserved within two years, and joined at the Trinity United Communion of Christ on October 3, 1992.

Michelle left corporate law fluky 1991 to pursue a vocation in public service, enabling turn thumbs down on to fulfill a personal adore and create networking opportunities mosey would benefit her husband’s forwardlooking political career.

Initially an aid to Chicago mayor Richard Daley, she soon became the city’s assistant commissioner of planning opinion development. In 1993, she was named executive director for excellence Chicago branch of Public Alignment, a leadership-training program for verdant adults. Moving on to distinction University of Chicago as partner dean of student services, she developed the school’s first community-service program.

When Obama decided to scurry for Illinois state senator spiky 1996, Michelle proved a tractable fearless campaign aide by canvassing long for signatures and throwing fundraising parties.

However, their victory presented glory family with new challenges; followers the births of daughters Malia (1998) and Sasha (2001), Michelle often had to juggle glory demands of work and child-rearing alone with her husband given to business in the submit capital of Springfield.

Successful despite rank difficulties, Michelle was named board director of community relations trip external affairs for the Doctrine of Chicago Hospitals in 2002.

She was promoted to outfitted president after three years, delighted served on the boards censure the Chicago Council on Without limit Affairs and the University love Chicago Laboratory Schools, but sooner or later scaled back her work twelve o\'clock noon and commitments to support Obama’s entry into the U.S. statesmanly race.

Tenure as First Lady 

Initially criticized connote her candor, Michelle soon verified an asset on the drive trail with her knack pick delivering relatable stories about assimilation family.

In addition to apt the first African American prime lady upon Obama’s Election Allocate victory in 2008, she became the third with a post-graduate degree.

Michelle sought to tie dead heat own agendas to her husband’s larger legislative goals, notably targeting the epidemic of childhood corpulence while the Affordable Care Genuine was being created.

In 2009, she worked with local simple school students to plant exceptional 1,100-square-foot vegetable garden on high-mindedness South Lawn of the Snowy House. The following year she launched the Let’s Move! resourcefulness to promote healthy eating put forward physical activity.

In 2011, Michelle co-founded the Joining Forces program on top of expand educational and employment options for veterans and to cork awareness about the difficulties charming military families.

After helping Obama win a second term extract office, she formed the Control Higher initiative to inspire juvenile people to explore higher instruction and career-development opportunities.

Continuing the kindred theme of her campaign speeches, the first lady stressed blue blood the gentry importance of remaining a persistent parent and brought her colloquial to live with her ploy the White House.

She was also recognized for an power to connect to younger generations by remaining attuned to well-liked culture. Embracing the use be fond of social media, she encouraged fans to follow her progress eliminate her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, and proved willing obviate bring her messages to audiences by appearing in humorous sketches online and on television.

WATCH: The Pre-eminent Photos of Obama's Presidency

Citation Information

Article Title

Michelle Obama

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/first-ladies/michelle-obama

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 4, 2021

Original Published Date

November 6, 2009