Michelle ObamaThe woman of substance

MICHELLE ROBINSON OBAMA

The Early Years

Born on January 17,

1964

Michelle Robinson was raised in a one-bedroom apartment on Chicago's South Shore.

Michelle's father died in 1990 two years before she married

Barack,

Michelle Robinson

majored in sociology at

Princeton University graduating with cum

laude honors in

1985.

From there she attended Harvard where she earned her law degree in 1988, one

year ahead of her husband-to-be, Barack, whom she hadn't met yet but attended the

same law school.

MICHELLE AND BARACK MEET

After graduating from Harvard, Michelle accepted a position at a downtown Chicago law firm. In 1989 she was asked to mentor a summer associate from Harvard name

Barack Obama.

Barack didn't have much interest in corporate law, but did have a lot

of interest in Michelle.

love prevailed and they were married on October 18, 1992.

Interestingly Barack and

Michelle waited almost seven years before

having children.

Their first daughter name

Malia Ann Obama was born in 1999 with Natasha (often called

"sasha") following two years later in

2001.

“When asked about what made her fall in love with him she replied "for the same

reason many other people respect him; his connection with people.”

She told Ebony magazine in

March 2006, "I never worry about

things I can't affect, and with

fidelity . . . that is between Barack and me, and if somebody can

come between us, we didn't have much to begin

with."

MICHELLE'S ROBINSON OBAMA'S CAREER

• Former associate dean at the University of Chicago;

• a member of six boards of directors including the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs

• the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and Tree House Foods;

• Vice President, Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

MICHELLE ‘S INFLUENCES ON BARACK'S POLITICAL

CAREER

Michelle's professional relationships were helpful when

her husband in 2004, then a state senator, ran for the United States.

In this 2004 race, Obama had the support of influential black

business leaders, some of whom had closer ties to his wife than

they did to him

MICHELLE OBAMA THE MOM & WIFE

Michelle has

mastered being a mother, career woman and the wife of a

politician.

Michelle as a ‘Style Icon’

“You can't make decisions based on fear and the

possibility of what might happen. We just weren't

raised that way.”

“All of us driven by a simple belief that the world as it is just won't do - that we have an obligation to fight for the

world as it should be.”

“I mean, people are serious about moving this country in a

different direction. And that makes me feel good to know

that, you know, I'm not alone in my frustration.”

“Before we can work on the

problems, we have to fix our

souls. Our souls are broken in this nation.”

“No matter what the outcome is, we have to keep our eyes on the

bigger picture. We need some kind of change. We can't cut off our noses to spite our

faces.”

“I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history - knowing that my piece of the American dream is a blessing hard won by those who came

before me.”

“Barack is one of the smartest

people you will ever encounter

who will deign to enter this messy

thing called politics.”

The women with rock-

steady determination