Saturday, April 9, 2011

Michelle Obama



First African American First Lady and wife of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States and the first African American to serve as president .
Former vice president of community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Born:

January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois on the city's South Side

Education:

Graduated Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago's West Loop in 1981

Undergraduate:
Princeton University, B.A. in sociology, minor in African American studies. Graduated 1985.

Graduate:
Harvard Law School. Graduated 1988.

Family Background:

Born to Marian and Fraser Robinson, Michelle had two early role models in her parents, whom she proudly identifies as 'working class.' Her father, a city pump operator and Democratic precinct captain, worked and lived with multiple sclerosis; his limp and crutches did not affect his abilities as the family breadwinner. Michelle's mother stayed home with her children until they reached high school. The family lived in a one-bedroom apartment on the top floor of a brick bungalow. The living room - converted with a divider down the middle - served as Michelle's bedroom.

Career in Corporate Law:

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Michelle joined the law firm of Sidley Austin as an associate specializing in marketing and intellectual property. In 1988, a summer intern two years older by the name of Barack Obama came to work at the firm, and Michelle was assigned as his mentor. They married in 1992.
In 1991, the death of her father from complications related to MS caused Michelle to re-evaluate her life; she subsequently decided to leave corporate law to work in the public sector.

Balancing Career, Family, and Politics:

Following her husband's election to the US Senate in November 2004, Michelle was appointed vice president of community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center in May 2005. Despite Barack's dual roles in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Michelle did not consider resigning from her position and and moving to the nation's capitol. Only after Barack announced his presidential campaign did she adjust her work schedule; in May 2007 she cut her hours by 80% to accommodate the needs of the family during his candidacy.
Personal:

Although she resists the labels 'feminist' and 'liberal,' Michelle Obama is widely recognized as outspoken and strong-willed. She has juggled career and family as a working mother, and her positions indicate progressive ideas on the roles of women and men in society.

Michelle and Barack Obama have two daughters, Malia (born 1998) and Sasha (born 2001).

What You Can Learn From the Marriage of Michelle and Barack Obama:
Barack and Michelle understand the importance of putting a priority on their time together. Even with both of their busy schedules, Barack and Michelle make time for one another.
In an ABC interview, Michelle said that "Barack didn't pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise he's delivered." She also said as part of the division of labor in their house, Barack did the grocery shopping. Read more about their marriage in the spotlight.
News Updates:
01/20/09: Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States.
11/04/08: "Barack Obama, a first-term US senator from Illinois who campaigned on a message of hope and change, was elected the country's first African-American president tonight."
Born:


Barack "Barry" Hussein Obama, Jr.: August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His name Barack means "one who is blessed" in Swahili. He was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia.
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson: January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois.


How Barack and Michelle Met:
In 1989, Michelle was working at a downtown law firm and assigned the role of advisor to a summer associate from Harvard, Barack Obama. He reportedly didn't have much interest in corporate law, but did have a lot of interest in Michelle.
She said "she fell in love with him for the same reason many other people respect him; his connection with people." 
After refusing to go out with Barack for a month, Michelle agreed to spend the day with him. They went to the art institute, had lunch at an outdoor cafe, walked and talked, saw the movie Do the Right Thing, and had a drink on the 99th floor of the John Hancock building.
In a CNN interview with Suzanne Malveau, Michelle said "We clicked right away ... by the end of that date it was over ... I was sold."
Obama: "I think it's fair to say that had I not been a Stevie Wonder fan, Michelle might not have dated me. We might not have married. The fact that we agreed on Stevie was part of the essence of our courtship."
Wedding Date and Info:
Michelle and Barack's wedding ceremony was performed on October 3, 1992 by Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois. Michelle's brother Craig walked her down the aisle. The reception was held at the South Shore Cultural Center.
Stevie Wonder's song, "You and I" was Michelle and Obama's wedding song.
It was “one of the happier weddings that I had been to,” says MacArthur, “because people understood that putting the two of them together was like putting hydrogen and oxygen together to create this unbelievable life force. Everybody knew it. We understood that together they were going to be so much more than they would have been individually.”
White House 
It would be both patriotic and praiseworthy if the Obamas directed their new interior designer, Michael S. Smith, to stick to the $100,000 in funds allotted for decorating the White House living quarters. 
To be quite frank, when it comes to the high-end market, $100,000 is a paltry sum for decorating an entire home, given the cost of fabrics, finishes, and furnishings. So, any additional monies for refurbishing the family's floors at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue traditionally come from private donations.
To give some perspective, Nancy Reagan raised $822,640.91 to refurbish the White House and actually spent $730,000, most of which was lavished on the private living quarters designed by California society decorator Ted Graber. Reagan graciously returned the $50,000 government grant provided for decoration.
Too rich for today's palate, the official George W. Bush state china broke the bank at $493,000, and the 220 place settings of scarlet and gold Lenox china commissioned by Nancy Reagan were much criticized for their $210,399 price tag. With food pantries across America stressed from the influx of working people and unemployed who are having trouble putting food on the table, such needless ostentation is in poor taste, if not immoral. We all expect that the Obamas have a whole new set of priorities to bring to the table.





Presidence residence
Clear loser is Senator Obama, with a single property, a 6,500 square foot, Georgian-revival home near the University of Chicago. The Obama’s paid $1.65 million for the property in 2005, and the current value is an estimated $1.8 million, barely enough profit to cover the property taxes.



The Michelle Obama Brooch Jewelry Trend

In most of the pictures where the future First Lady has on dresses, she almost always invariably is wearing a stylish brooch. There are a number of beautiful brooches available that certainly may become a part of the Michelle Obama brooch Jewelry Trend.
From the moment Michelle Obama was seen on the stage at the Democratic National Convention wearing a brooch, most fashion astute people recognized the brooch was back with a vengeance and definitely with style. There are a wide assortment of brooches that resonate the style of theMichelle Obama brooch jewelry trend that costs anywhere from $4.95 up to $495.00 or higher.





MICHELLE OBAMA: POWER FASHION


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