michelle-obama

A young girl who went viral after a photo of her admirably gazing at a portrait of Michelle Obama in a museum can soon add published author to her resume.In March, a photo of a then 2-year-old Parker Curry awestruck by the painting of Mrs. Obama at the National Portrait Gallery went viral. It was later revealed the toddler believed Mrs. Obama was a queen -- and not wrongfully so. Feeling all the feels. 😭 When I look at this picture I think back to my first field trip in elementary school to a museum. I had only seen paintings in encyclopedias up to that point in my life. There was a show up of work by painter @thebobartlett whose work still inspires me to this day. There was a painting of a black man standing in front of a house. I don't remember a lot about my childhood, but I do have a few emotional memories etched into my mind forever and seeing that painting of a man that looked like he could be my father stopped me dead in my tracks. This was my first time seeing real paintings that weren't in a book and also weren't painted in another century. I didn't realize that none of them had me in them until I saw that painting of Bo's. I knew I wanted to be an artist already, but seeing that painting made me realize that I could. What dreams may come? #representationmattersA post shared by A M Y S H E R A L D (@asherald) on Mar 2, 2018 at 8:01am PST With a little help from her mama, Curry is now penning a book and will draw some inspiration from the Becoming author, according to Page Six.The premise of the book will revolve around "a little girl named Parker looking at Michelle Obama's portrait," Jessica Curry, Parker's mom, told Page Six TV.Since the photo of the now 3-year-old Parker staring in awe at the forever FLOTUS went viral, the two have struck up a lovely friendship and even reunited on the Washington, D.C., stop of Mrs. Obama's book tour last month. View this post on Instagram So grateful to be present for @michelleobama’s Washington, D.C. conversation about her book #Becoming. . . . . #iambecoming #becoming #michelleobama #queen #firstlady #bestie #inspiration #live #love #swerve #washingtonian #instagood #ontheblog #newblogpost #happymamahappybabiesA post shared by Parker (@_parkercurry) on Nov 28, 2018 at 11:24am PSTYoung girls paying homage to the former lawyer have become the norm, which is a testament to how uplifting Mrs. Obama's impact as a global figure has been over the last decade. Ella-Loraine Brown opted to portray the first Black first lady in her younger years by dressing up as Mrs. Obama when she was a freshman at Princeton University. The 8-year-old nailed the look from the matching hairstyle all the way down to the accompanying tote bag. For her school’s “Cultural Heroes Day,” Ella-Lorraine chose to dress up as @MichelleObama as a freshman at Princeton University. Ella respects her elders & enjoys black history. pic.twitter.com/8fMwrXtWSx— THE CONNET (@THEAlleyeceeing) December 9, 2018 We trying to be like her too, y'all. Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Liking this content? Check these out:Girl Who Marveled At Michelle Obama's Portrait In Viral Photo Adorably Recreated The Look For HalloweenMichelle Obama Reveals The Truth About 'Leaning In': 'That S**t Doesn't Work'Michelle Obama Has Some Dating Advice For All The 'Brothas:' 'Do Not Play...

When two widely respected women link up, great things are bound to happen. Such was the case Monday evening when Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, attended former first lady Michelle Obama's book tour stop at London's Royal Festival Hall. Following the first lady's appearance, which was moderated by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Obama and the Duchess held a "power meeting," an anonymous source told the Evening Standard. A friend who attended the lecture with the Duchess claimed Markle "had a long private audience with Michelle.""They spoke at length about the importance of supporting and empowering women across all cultures and communities," the friend disclosed to The Standard.The famous women also exchanged pregnancy stories and anecdotes on raising children, The Telegraph reports. In October, Kensington Palace announced the Duchess is pregnant with her first child, which is due spring 2019.While Obama and Markle's husband, Prince Harry, have interacted before, this was the first meeting between the two ladies. This encounter comes fresh off the advice the former FLOTUS publicly shared with the newest member of the Royal Family. "Like me, Meghan probably never dreamt that she'd have a life like this, and the pressure you feel — from yourself and from others — can sometimes feel like a lot," the Becoming author said in Good Housekeeping's January issue. "So my biggest piece of advice would be to take some time and don't be in a hurry to do anything."Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Liking this content? Check these out:Michelle Obama Reveals The Truth About 'Leaning In': 'That S**t Doesn't Work'Michelle Obama Has Some Dating Advice For All The 'Brothas:' 'Do Not Play Games'Michelle Obama Proves She's Amazing At 'Becoming' Barack Obama With This Hilarious...

Former first lady Michelle Obama shocked an audience and herself when she let a curse word slip during a rant about having it all.Obama made a comment on Saturday during an event for her book tour at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. She was talking about the concept of “leaning in,” a method popularized by Facebook’s chief financial officer Sheryl Sandberg through which women are supposedly able to “have it all,” according to Vanity Fair.“Marriage still ain’t equal, y’all,” Obama said to the packed room. “It ain’t equal. I tell women that whole, ‘You can have it all’ — mmm, nope, not at the same time, that’s a lie. It’s not always enough to lean in because that s**t doesn’t work.”The crowd applauded when the word dropped while Obama laughed it off.“I thought we were at home, y’all. I was gettin’ real comfortable up in here. Alright, I’m back now. Sometimes that stuff doesn’t work,” she said.While the Obamas have a seemingly perfect marriage, the forever FLOTUS admitted it takes hard work to keep it going. She described some of the challenges she and her husband have weathered in her memoir Becoming.“People are like, 'Oh, why’d she talk about marriage counseling?' I’m like, ‘Duh.’ Marriage is hard, you know. It is hard ... I love my husband, and we have a great marriage, and we’ve had a great marriage, but marriage is hard work,” Obama told the audience. “Marriage is a lot of work, and it should be. It’s two independent individuals who are trying to come together to build a life forever.”The 54-year-old has been candid about her experiences since she began promoting her new book. On Friday, Obama described the immense pressure her family felt during their time in the White House, according to The Daily Beast. She even revealed she cried on the flight home after her husband left office.“When you’re the first of anything, the bar feels higher. You don’t have room to make mistakes,” she said. “It was just the release of eight years of feeling like we had to do everything perfectly, that there wasn’t a margin of error, that we couldn’t make mistakes, that we couldn’t slip, that our tone had to be perfect.”Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Liking this content? Check these out:Barack Obama Reflects On Legacy Of George H.W. Bush In Touching StatementA Young Girl's Black Girl Magic Left Her White Classmates In TearsHaitian Asylum Seeker A Free Man After Two Years In ICE...

Tuesday marked the highly anticipated release of former first lady Michelle Obama's memoir, Becoming, in which she details everything from growing up in Chicago to her eight years as the country's first Black first lady. Before she and husband former President Barack Obama set their sights on the White House, Mrs. Obama was an accomplished lawyer, having earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School. Before attending Harvard, the women's rights activist earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University. However, the accomplished scholar likely would not have walked the halls of the Ivy League institution, or even the White House, had she followed the advice of her college counselor.According to Business Insider, Mrs. Obama picked Princeton as her first choice because her older brother, Craig, was a student there. Much to her dismay, her counselor at Chicago's Whitney Young School felt Mrs. Obama's qualifications were not a match for the New Jersey school."'I'm not sure,' she said, giving me a perfunctory, patronizing smile, 'That you're not Princeton material,'" the forever FLOTUS wrote of the counselor in her memoir.Mrs. Obama also wrote she couldn't remember any details about the counselor — like the woman's race or age — because she "deliberately and almost instantly blotted this experience out."As the saying goes, "a wolf doesn't lose sleep over the opinion of sheep," and Mrs. Obama fully intended on proving the college counselor wrong."I wasn't going to let one person's opinion dislodge everything I thought I knew about myself," she wrote in Becoming.Nearly, seven months later, she received her acceptance letter from Princeton.Ironically, when she set foot on her new campus that fall, Mrs. Obama confessed that her colleagues underwhelmed her. "I'm expecting brilliance. Genius. And then what I discover is, wow, there's a lot of arbitrariness to this stuff, you know?" she revealed to CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King."There's a debate about affirmative action when it comes to race. What I point out is that I got to Princeton, I realized there's a whole — all kinds of affirmative action that goes on. There are kids who get in because they're athletes. There are kids who get in because there's a legacy. It's just that race stands out. But it was important for me to see that."Michelle Obama kicked off her nationwide Becoming tour on Tuesday at Chicago's United Center, joined by fellow Chicago native Oprah Winfrey. The Chicago Tribune notes the event was filled "with hope, with healing, with gratitude." Now, check these out:Michelle Obama Proves She's Amazing At 'Becoming' Barack Obama With This Hilarious ImpressionMichelle Obama Says She Developed 'A Whole Strategy For Hair' During Her White House Years That Would Shock 'A Lot Of White Women'Michelle Obama Wants To See Sasha Run For President In 2020 Since ‘Everybody’s...

Michelle Obama is having fun on her book tour! The former first lady played a game of "Hot Seat" with Ellen DeGeneres on the comedian's show this week, and her answers to Ellen's questions were beyond entertaining. Along with admitting she preferred Jermaine Jackson over Michael Jackson as a child and dishing on whether she likes Ellen or Oprah better, the forever first lady did a fabulous impersonation of her husband, Barack Obama.“Well, let me tell you, I have three points. One, and then there’s two, and finally, three,” Mrs. Obama said in a lowered voice, managing to include all of her husband’s vocal quirks.  Obama challenged DeGeneres to her best Barack impression, but the comedian bowed out. Also, according to Michelle, Sasha and Malia like her presidential impression as much as you probably just did. The former first lady said it is one of the things her daughter enjoy most about her.DeGeneres gave Mrs. Obama a chance to finish the following statement: “My spouse gives the best … ,” clearly leaving room for a double entendre. But the forever FLOTUS chose to go high. “He’s the best at everything!” Mrs. Obama responded with a smirk and a laugh.In a cute moment during the game, Obama revealed her favorite nickname is "Mich." So adorable!Check out the rest of the pair's chat below:Michelle Obama's memoir, Becoming, is available for sale now. Liking this content? Check these out: Michelle Obama Says She Developed 'A Whole Strategy For Hair' During Her White House Years That Would Shock 'A Lot Of White Women'[Exclusive] Michelle Obama: Going High When Others Go Low Doesn't Mean Ignoring Reality Or The Power Of Your VoteMichelle Obama Gets Candid About Trying To Please Fashion Critics As The First Black...

It's the end of an era as 2 Dope Queens, the popular podcast hosted by Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson, has released its last episode. Though fans will be sad about this news, the duo is ending their podcast run with a bang by featuring the dopest guest ever: Michelle Obama.The two chatted with forever first lady about politics, her "when they go low, we go high" statement and, of course, hair. After discussing wigs, Williams and Robinson asked Obama about the pressure of keeping her hair looking a certain way while existing in "such a public space." "Well, you know, the first thing you've gotta worry about is how to keep it healthy," Obama replied. "My whole goal was I want to end this with hair on my head. ... And so now you've got to think about how do you do that, you know? What are you doing? And are you swimming? Are you working out? But this wasn't just a first lady journey. This is a Black professional women's journey."The former first lady also pointed out she played around with various styles while living on Pennsylvania Avenue, including "braids, weaves, wigs [and] extensions" just like a typical Black woman would.Additionally, Obama revealed she was firm both about not using heat and being flexible with her hair due to her physically active lifestyle. "Baseball cap, you know, that kind of stuff where I could work out, not worry about it, not have to put eyelashes on and all that sort of stuff," Michelle said. "So, we structured days around hair and makeup."However, sometimes the duties of a first lady meant giving her hair a break wasn't an option for Obama."There were some periods where, like holidays, it was like every day. Because we'd have to host parties every day. We'd open up the White House almost every day from Thanksgiving until like the 19th. Every day. December was the tough hair month."What did the forever FLOTUS do to survive eight intense Decembers? Well, she did this: "pull it back, give it a break."Throughout two terms at the White House, Obama said she developed "a whole strategy for hair that I'm sure a lot of white women are sitting over there going, 'Man, I didn't know all that was going on.'"Mrs. Obama is just like us! At the end of the stellar interview, the two pop culture stars waved goodbye to their dedicated podcast listeners in a post to WNYC Studios.  “In the words of Boyz II Men, it’s the ‘end of the road,’" Robinson and Williams wrote. "We want to thank you, listeners, for being with us from the very beginning. We are so honored to have gotten the chance to go on this ride with you. Our show started in a hot basement in Brooklyn, and now we’re selling out theaters across the country. We could not have done it without you.”The next iteration of 2 Dope Queens will take the form of HBO specials set to air in 2019, according to The Hollywood Reporter.You can listen to the full Obama episode below:  Liking this content? Check these out: 12 Podcasts By Black Millennials You Should Listen ToMichelle Obama Wants To See Sasha Run For President In 2020 Since ‘Everybody’s Qualified’[Exclusive] Michelle Obama: Going High When Others Go Low Doesn't Mean Ignoring Reality Or The Power Of Your...

Michelle Obama is knee-deep into her book tour. Promoting her highly anticipated memoir Becoming, our "forever FLOTUS" recently spoke with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America about not just her book, but who she thinks ought to run for president in 2020.According to The Hill, Obama answered a question about the next presidential race with a joking jab at President Donald Trump. “At this point, everybody is qualified, and everyone should run,” the former first lady said.Who's her No. 1 pick? Sasha Obama.“Sasha, you’ve got some free time. I think you’d do a great job,” Mrs. Obama told her daughter with a laugh.Sure, Sasha would be much too young to run for president in 2020, but who knows what will happen between then and now, right?Mrs. Obama also talked about her disappointment in the large group of women who decided to choose Trump over Hillary Clinton even after his offensive "grab them by the p***y" comments were made public, according to Time, with 53 percent of white women voting for Trump, Vox reports.  "I implored people to focus and to think about what it takes to be commander-in-chief," Obama said of the time after those vulgar comments surfaced. "It's amazing to me that we still have to tell people about the importance of voting."Although she got serious about voting, the Democratic kingmaker chose not to endorse a candidate in the Democratic primary for 2020. Instead, she had a word of advice for those contemplating a run. “Anybody who feels the passion to get in this race, we need them in there. And I think that process will play itself out,” she said.Now, check these out: Michelle Obama Announces 10-City ‘Becoming’ Book Tour And She May Be Headed To A Hood Near YouMichelle Obama Reveals Book Cover For Her Memoir 'Becoming' And It Couldn't Be More FlawlessMichelle Obama Gets Candid About Trying To Please Fashion Critics As The First Black...

Michelle Obama is known for many things: her strong dedication to education and healthy eating; her unyielding support of her husband, Barack Obama; her enviable rock-hard arms and, of course, her fashion sense. The former (or forever) first lady's book, Becoming, will be released on Tuesday, November 13. In an excerpt shared with Elle, Mrs. Obama writes about the pressure she felt regarding FLOTUS fashion. As Barack's campaign got underway, all eyes were on the future first Black first lady of the United States. However, Obama wrote that she quickly discovered people seemed to care more about what she wore than what she said."This stuff got me down, but I tried to reframe it as an opportunity to learn, to use what power I could find inside a situation I’d never have chosen for myself," the former FLOTUS wrote about the coverage of a speaking engagement she had at a school. "If people flipped through a magazine primarily to see the clothes I was wearing, I hoped they’d also see the military spouse standing next to me or read what I had to say about children’s health."As Obama leaned into this new power, she enlisted the aid of wardrobe stylist Meredith Koop who helped her step into the iconic style we know today, according to the Huffington Post.Mrs. Obama also delved into the intersection of being a Black female first lady in the book, writing that existing in that intersection helped her to develop many of her trademark high fashion/fast fashion looks.“As a Black woman, too, I knew I’d be criticized if I was perceived as being showy and high-end, and I’d also be criticized if I was too casual,” she wrote. “So I mixed it up. I’d match a Michael Kors skirt with a T-shirt from Gap. I wore something from Target one day and Diane von Furstenberg the next.”Oh, and remember President Obama getting called out for wearing a tan suit? Michelle wrote that she envied the simplicity of his wardrobe snafu and the ease with which he was able to dress."I sighed sometimes, watching Barack pull the same dark suit out of his closet and head off to work without even needing a comb," Mrs. Obama wrote.Now, check these out: Michelle Obama Announces 10-City ‘Becoming’ Book Tour And She May Be Headed To A Hood Near You[Exclusive] Michelle Obama: Going High When Others Go Low Doesn't Mean Ignoring Reality Or The Power Of Your VoteGirl Who Marveled At Michelle Obama's Portrait In Viral Photo Adorably Recreated The Look For...

Michelle Obama says she gave up on "trying to smile" during Donald Trump's presidential inauguration.Speaking with Robin Roberts of Good Morning America in an exclusive interview that aired Sunday night, Mrs. Obama openly discussed the disdain she felt for her husband's successor. Her unforgettable side-eye during Trump's inauguration quickly went viral and remains one of the many reasons we couldn't stop loving the forever FLOTUS if we tried.The 54-year-old Chicago native remarked that the celebratory feel during her husband’s two inaugurations was gone when Trump was sworn into office in January 2017."The vibrant diversity of the two previous inaugurations was gone," Obama wrote in her memoir according to an advanced copy obtained by ABC.She also described the difference between what the American people saw compared to what was the truth."Someone from Barack’s administration might have said that the optics there were bad, that what the public saw didn’t reflect the president’s reality or ideals," she wrote. "But in this case, maybe it did.""Realizing it, I made my own optic adjustment," she continued. "I stopped even trying to smile."When Trump was elected president on that November evening in 2016, Mrs. Obama disclosed that she just wanted to "block it all out and go to sleep."She wondered why so many women would favor a known misogynist over an experienced woman in Hillary Clinton. Roberts then mentioned that since leaving office, she and her husband have remained mum about their feelings on Trump. "Being the commander in chief is a hard job. You need to have discipline," Mrs. Obama said. "You need to read and you need to be knowledgeable. You need to know history. You need to be careful with your words."But voters make those decisions and once the voters have spoken, you know, we live with what we live with," she added. Becoming is slated to be released on Tuesday and will chronicle the former first lady's journey from growing up in Chicago to becoming the country's first Black first lady. The promotional tour for the memoir also begins Tuesday at Chicago's United Center, where Oprah Winfrey will serve as a moderator. Now, check these out:Michelle Obama Reveals She Suffered A Miscarriage, Underwent IVF To Conceive Sasha And MaliaTwitter Rallies Around Black Female Journalists Attacked By Trump This WeekDonald Trump Can't Seem To Stop Thinking About April...

Remember Parker Curry, the little girl who admired Michelle Obama’s official portrait? She eventually met Mrs. Obama for a dance party, and her admiration of our forever FLOTUS didn’t stop there.When Parker’s mom, Jessica, asked her who she wanted to be for Halloween, she didn’t say her favorite cartoon character.“Flat out. No hesitation. Half of a second later. 'I want to be Michelle Obama,' and I was like 'Whoa,'" Jessica told BuzzFeed News. "I thought she was going to be like, 'I want to be Elsa' or some other character like that."Jessica had a week and a half to make it happen. Thankfully, Alisha Welsh, owner of Magnolia Lake Children's Clothing, had a standing offer to make a dress for Parker."I knew it was kind of last minute, but I was hoping that she would still do it, and she still did it for us," the mom said. "I don’t know how she did it. But she did it, and she’s amazing, and we love her for it."The dress was waiting for Parker when she got home from school on Wednesday. The 3-year-old was elated.Happy #Halloween! Can you guess who I am? pic.twitter.com/LZA95MT9rl— Parker Curry (@_parkercurry) November 1, 2018"She walked in, and she saw the dress, and she was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Jessica said. “And I was like, ‘Do you like it?’ And she was like, ‘It’s perfect!’ Literally, those were her words: ‘It’s perfect!’"Mrs. Obama was also fond of the costume.You nailed the look, Parker! I love it!!!! ❤️ https://t.co/40CArze8gT— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 1, 2018It’s clear Obama has had a profound effect on the toddler."Parker talks about Michelle Obama every day," Jessica said. "She lets people know every day that she is the one who met Michelle Obama, and she is friends with Michelle Obama."Amy Sherald, who painted the portrait, also has a mini-me.Mom Alison Waddy posted a picture of her daughter, Raegan, dressed in a Sherald costume. View this post on Instagram And another one... This year’s theme: Black Artists. . Raegan is all dolled up as Amy Sherald, the artist who was commissioned to paint @michelleobama (This is why we were at the National Portrait Gallery a few weeks ago) . Jackson is posted up as Gordon Parks, pioneer among Black photographers and filmmakers known for his documentation of civil rights issues and poverty during the 1940s-1970s . Halloween Costumes from 2016 and 2017 are in my story!! #theygonnagetthisblackhistorytodayA post shared by Mrs. Waddy (@mrs_waddy) on Oct 31, 2018 at 3:17pm PDT The artist saw the picture and reposted it on her account."My heart just exploded, and I’m dead," she wrote. Liking this content? Check these out:9 Celebrity Halloween Costumes That Could Do No WrongIf You Don't Understand That Blackface Is Racist, You Don't Deserve To Commemorate Halloween5 Basic Tips For White Folks Who Don’t Know How To Do Better On...