While she has her haters thanks to the murky world of politics, there are few people as quintessentially American as Michelle Obama. At one time, she was relatively unknown, content to live her life as a doting mother and high-powered lawyer. Just a few years later, though, she was a national icon and a household name.
How did Michelle Obama transform herself into an American icon? What are her roots, and how did she go from the south side of Chicago all the way to the White House? Most of all, what is the legacy she leaves behind after nearly two decades of girlbossing? Keep reading to discover the answers!
Michelle Obama comes from humble beginnings
These days, Michelle Obama is both famous and fabulously wealthy. This isn’t due to her husband’s time as president…at least, not directly. But being FLOTUS helped transform Michelle into a household name. Eventually, she became a powerful brand unto herself, and she inked three books, which helped transform her into a multimillionaire. These book deals, along with the hefty speaking fee she commands, ensured that Michelle is one of the wealthiest people in the country compared to your average Joe.
However, Michelle Obama didn’t come from wealth…in fact, she has very humble beginnings. Growing up, she, her brother, and her parents lived in a cramped, one-bedroom apartment on Chicago’s South Side. She’s proud of the life that her parents (he was a city pump operator, and she was a homemaker) were able to give her, but she always wanted more for herself. That’s why she worked hard in high school (attending Chicago’s first high school for high achievers) before later graduating from Princeton and then getting a law degree from Harvard, which helped her become a rich, high-powered lawyer!
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From power lawyer to the first Black FLOTUS
Those who don’t really know Michelle Obama often think that she worked in some low-paid, obscure job before her husband’s presidential election victory made her rich and famous. Ironically enough, though, the reverse happened: after graduating Harvard, she immediately got a job at Chicago’s Sidley Austin law firm, and she actually became Barack’s boss when he was hired as an intern. The two hit it off and eventually got married, and Michelle just kept moving up the career ladder. Eventually, she was making a cool $250,000 a year as a hospital executive while her husband worked a relatively underpaid job as a state senator.
However, once Barack was elected president, their financial roles were reversed. He made $400,000 a year as president and also received a $50,000 annual expense budget. Michelle, however, didn’t receive any kind of salary at all, and she had to give up her corporate job (the one making her a quarter million dollars a year!) before moving into the White House. Still, it was worth it: Michelle got to immediately make history as America’s first African-American First Lady. Plus, as mentioned before, she eventually parlayed her fame and popularity as FLOTUS into book deals that made her wealthy beyond her wildest dreams!
Michelle Obama became a girlpower icon
As FLOTUS, Michelle Obama left behind some very powerful legacies. For example, she was a personal fitness inspiration…after all, those powerful arms of hers made it quite clear that she never skipped the gym! And her initiatives to make public schools healthier impacted an entire generation of young people. However, her most powerful legacy may come from her spearheading a number of initiatives to empower women throughout America and even all around the world.
For example, Michelle spearheaded Let Girls Learn, an initiative designed to “address the range of challenges preventing adolescent girls from attaining a quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential.” She also discussed the importance of teaching women at Glamour’s special A Brighter Future: A Global Conversation on Girls’ Education. Finally, she supported #62MillionGirls (a campaign encouraging women to finish their education) by releasing a hit music single, “This Is For My Girls.”
When it comes to supporting women, you can tell that Michelle puts her money and her music where her mouth is!
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A true fashion queen
While you don’t have to look great to be a girl power icon, it certainly helps! Michelle Obama, for example, found it easier to command the attention of women everywhere by rocking some of the coolest fashions crafted by some of the hottest designers in the world. For example, when Michelle attended the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, she wore a Tayna Taylor dress that combined comfort with fashion. And on one of her multiple Ellen appearances, she rocked a downright iconic Tom Ford blouse.
Honestly, the list goes on: in 2017, she wore a custom Cushnie et Ochs dress that looked like something out of a sci-fi blockbuster. And even when she’s not rocking designer fashions, she’s an icon, like when she dropped by Princeton, her old alma mater, for MTV’s National College Signing Day event. Pairing a grey t-shirt with gray skinny jeans, sweater, bracelets, and sneakers, she looked every bit as fashionable as the student body!