Barack Obama Michelle Obama Popular Books
Barack Obama Michelle Obama Biography & Facts
Michelle LaVaughn Obama (née Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to former president Barack Obama. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Obama is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. In her early legal career, she worked at the law firm Sidley Austin where she met her future husband. She subsequently worked in nonprofits and as the associate dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago. Later she served as vice president for Community and External Affairs of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Michelle married Barack in 1992 and they have two daughters. Obama campaigned for her husband's presidential bid throughout 2007 and 2008, delivering a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She has subsequently delivered speeches at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 conventions. As first lady, Obama served as a role model for women and worked as an advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy eating. She supported American designers and was considered a fashion icon. Obama was the first African-American woman to serve as first lady. After her husband's presidency, Obama's influence has remained high. In 2020, she topped Gallup's poll of the most admired woman in America for the third year running. Family and education Early life and ancestry Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois, to Fraser Robinson III (1935–1991), a city water plant employee and Democratic precinct captain, and Marian Shields Robinson (b. July 30, 1937), a secretary at Spiegel's catalog store. Her mother was a full-time homemaker until Michelle entered high school. The Robinson and Shields families trace their roots to pre-Civil War African Americans in the American South. On her father's side, she is descended from the Gullah people of South Carolina's Lowcountry region. Her paternal great-great grandfather, Jim Robinson, was born into slavery in 1850 on Friendfield Plantation, near Georgetown, South Carolina. He became a freedman at age 15 after the war. Some of Obama's paternal family still reside in the Georgetown area. Her grandfather Fraser Robinson, Jr., built his own house in South Carolina. He and his wife LaVaughn (née Johnson) returned to the Lowcountry from Chicago after retirement. Among her maternal ancestors was her great-great-great-grandmother, Melvinia Dosey Shields, born into slavery in South Carolina but sold to Henry Walls Shields, who had a 200-acre farm in Clayton County, Georgia, near Atlanta. Melvinia's first son, Adolphus T. Shields, was biracial and born into slavery around 1860. Based on DNA and other evidence, in 2012 researchers said his father was likely 20-year-old Charles Marion Shields, son of Melvinia's master. They may have had a continuing relationship, as she had two more mixed-race children and lived near Shields after emancipation, taking his surname (she later changed her surname). As was often the case, Melvinia did not talk to relatives about Dolphus's father. Dolphus Shields, with his wife Alice, moved to Birmingham, Alabama, after the Civil War. They were great-great-grandparents of Robinson, whose grandparents had moved to Chicago. Other of their children's lines migrated to Cleveland, Ohio, in the 20th century. All four of Robinson's grandparents had multiracial ancestors, reflecting the complex history of the U.S. Her extended family has said that people did not talk about the era of slavery when they were growing up. Her distant ancestry includes Irish, English, and Native American roots. Among her contemporary extended family is Rabbi Capers Funnye; born in Georgetown, South Carolina. Funnye is the son of her grandfather Robinson's sister and her husband, and he is about 12 years older than Michelle. Funnye converted to Judaism after college. He is a paternal first cousin once-removed. Robinson's childhood home was on the upper floor of 7436 South Euclid Avenue in Chicago's South Shore community area, which her parents rented from her great-aunt, who had the first floor. She was raised in what she describes as a "conventional" home, with "the mother at home, the father works, you have dinner around the table". Her elementary school was down the street. She and her family enjoyed playing games such as Monopoly, reading, and frequently saw extended family on both sides. She played piano, learning from her great-aunt, who was a piano teacher. The Robinsons attended services at nearby South Shore United Methodist Church. They used to vacation in a rustic cabin in White Cloud, Michigan. She and her 21-month-older brother, Craig, skipped the second grade. Her father suffered from multiple sclerosis, which had a profound effect on her. Subsequently, she was determined to stay out of trouble and perform well in school. By sixth grade, Michelle joined a gifted class at Bryn Mawr Elementary School (later renamed Bouchet Academy). She attended Whitney Young High School, Chicago's first magnet high school, established as a selective enrollment school, where she was a classmate of Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita. The round-trip commute from the Robinsons' South Side home to the Near West Side, where the school was located, took three hours. Michelle recalled being fearful of how others would perceive her, but disregarded any negativity around her and used it "to fuel me, to keep me going". She recalled facing gender discrimination growing up, saying, for example, that rather than asking her for her opinion on a given subject, people commonly tended to ask what her older brother thought. She was on the honor roll for four years, took advanced placement classes, was a member of the National Honor Society, and served as student council treasurer. She graduated in 1981 as the salutatorian of her class. Education and early career Robinson was inspired to follow her brother to Princeton University, which she entered in 1981. She majored in sociology and minored in African-American studies, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985 after completing a 99-page senior thesis titled "Princeton Educated Blacks and the Black Community" under the supervision of Walter Wallace. Robinson recalls that some of her teachers in high school tried to dissuade her from applying, and that she had been warned against "setting my sights too high". She believed her brother's status as a student in good standing (he graduated in 1983) may have helped her during the admission process, but she was resolved to demonstrate her own worth. She has said she was overwhelmed during her first year, attributing this to the fact that neither of her parents had graduated from college, and that she had never spent time on a college campus. The mother of a white roommate reportedly tried to get her daughter reassigned because of Michelle's race. Robinson.... Discover the Barack Obama Michelle Obama popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Barack Obama Michelle Obama books.
Best Seller Barack Obama Michelle Obama Books of 2024
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The Audacity of Hope
Barack Obama#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Barack Obama’s lucid vision of America’s place in the world and call for a new kind of politics that builds upon our shared understandi...
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American Grown
Michelle ObamaSince its first planting, the White House Kitchen Garden has sparked a new conversation about nutrition and our children’s health. In American Grown, First Lady Michelle Obama tell...
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Barack Obama
Bob Carlton & Ariele GentilesMiddle school and teen readers can explore the life of the 44th president of the United States in this factual and informative biography of Barack Obama’s life leading up to his hi...
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Unguarded
Scottie PippenINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThis unflinching “master class” (The New York Times) of a memoir from twotime Olympic gold medalist and NBA Hall of Famer reveals how Scottie Pippe...
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Treating People Well
Lea Berman & Jeremy BernardTwo White House Social Secretaries offer “an essential guide for getting along and getting ahead in our world today…by treating others with civility and respect. Full of life lesso...
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Of Thee I Sing
Barack Obama & Loren LongBarack Obama delivers a tender, beautiful letter to his daughters in this powerful picture book illustrated by awardwinner Loren Long that's made to be treasured! In this poign...
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Michelle Obama
Shana Corey & James BernardinA Step 3 biography of esteemed lawyer and former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama!Michelle Obama is a lot like YOU! She grew up on the South Side of Chicago with her ...
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The Long Road Home
Debra ThompsonINSTANT BESTSELLER FINALIST FOR THE HILARY WESTON WRITERS’ TRUST PRIZE FOR NONFICTIONFrom a leading scholar on the politics of race comes a work of family history, memoir, and insi...
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Dreams from My Father
Barack Obama#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF ESSENCE’S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARSIn this iconic memoir of his early days, Barack Obama “guides u...
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Yes She Can
Molly Dillon"Young women can run the world. These are the stories of those who did..." @hillaryclinton"An excellent guide to the how and why of a life of public service." Amy PoehlerReturn to ...
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We Were Eight Years in Power
Ta-Nehisi CoatesIn this “urgently relevant” collection featuring the landmark essay “The Case for Reparations,” the National Book Award–winning author of Between the World and Me “r...
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Parker Grows a Garden
Parker Curry & Jessica CurryThe New York Times bestselling team behind Parker Looks Up returns with this Level 1 ReadytoRead about the joy of growing a garden.Parker is growing her own backyard garden! She pl...
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Blood Feud
Edward Klein“Irresistible entertainment . . . paints a Shakespearean portrait of power, lust and clashes between and within the two first families.” The New York Times On...
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Barack Obama
Beatrice GormleyLearn all about the life of the 44th President of the United States in this updated biography of Barack Obama, specially written for a younger audience.University Professor. Nobel ...
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Be Vigilant But Not Afraid
Barack H. Obama & Michelle ObamaBarack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America, ended his secondand finalterm in office on January 20th, 2017. For eight years, President Obama, along with thenFirst ...
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I Look Up To... Michelle Obama
Anna Membrino & Fatti BurkeIf you can see it, you can be it! Introduce your child to your role models with this series of inspirational board books.It's never too early to introduce your child to the people ...
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The Unofficial Michelle Obama Activity Book
Nathan JoyceAnother kindhearted but humorous activity book from the creator of A Celebration of David Attenborough: The Activity Book, celebrating one of the 21st century's bestloved women.Mic...
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One Thought Scares Me...
Richard DreyfussWe’ve let the meaning of America be reduced to guesswork. It might not be too late. Our democratic republic is failing, and it shouldn’t be a surprise. We can’t fly a plane without...
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The Presidents Fact Book
Roger Matuz, Bill Harris & J CraughwellThis indepth history of our nation’s 46 presidents is now fully revised and updated to include Donald Trump’s eventful term in office, Joe Biden’s path to the presidency, and ...
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Becoming
Michelle ObamaAn intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WATCH THE EMMYNOMINATED NETFLIX ORIGINA...
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Barack Obama
David MaranissThe groundbreaking multigenerational biography, a richly textured account of President Obama and the forces that shaped him and sustain him, from Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter, p...
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To Obama
Jeanne Marie Laskas“An insightful study of a president who listened to even his harshest critics with grace and humility.”The Washington PostNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY GLAMOUR Every e...
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Shattered
Jonathan Allen & Amie Parnes#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERIt was never supposed to be this close. And of course she was supposed to win. How Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump is the rivetin...
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The Presidents Visual Encyclopedia
DKFrom George Washington to Donald Trump, explore the lives of America's presidents.Discover America's rich history through the eyes of its commandersinchief, as well as notable firs...
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The Body Language of Politics
Donna Van Natten & Joe NavarroLearn how to spot the lies and deceptions of our politicians in action. You can’t turn on the television, check your phone, or scroll through social media without being besieged wi...
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The Art of Diplomacy
Bruce Heyman & Vicki HeymanA personal and insightful call to action and a muchneeded book about one of the most important bilateral relationships in the worldthe relationship between Canada and the USand why...
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Michelle Obama
Dawne Allette"I want you to know that we have very much in common. For nothing in my life would have predicted that I would be standing here as First Lady of the United States of America..." Wh...
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Parker Looks Up
Parker Curry & Jessica CurryA New York Times bestseller!A visit to Washington, DC’s National Portrait Gallery forever alters Parker Curry’s young life when she views First Lady Michelle Obama’s portrait.When ...
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Incomparable World
S. I. MartinA visceral reimagining of 1780s London, showcasing the untold stories of AfricanAmerican soldiers grappling with their postwar freedom 'Remarkable' David DabydeenIn the years just ...
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The Light We Carry
Michelle Obama#1 NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER In an inspiring followup to her acclaimed memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom ...
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Eat a Little Better
Sam KassSam Kass, former chef to the Obamas and White House food policy advisor, makes it easier to do a little better for your dietand the environmentevery day, through smart ways to thi...
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How Starbucks Saved My Life
Michael Gates GillNow in paperback, the national bestselling richestorags true story of an advertising executive who had it all, then lost it alland was finally redeemed by his new job, and his twen...
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Finding My Voice
Valerie JarrettA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFinalist for the NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Literary Work""Valerie has been one of Barack and my closest confidantes for decades... the world wou...
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The First Family Detail
Ronald KesslerNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Ron Kessler appears to get everything first.”Slate As in a play, presidents, vice presidents, and presidential candidates perform onstage for...