Michelle Obama is a force to reckon with; she is America's first black First Lady. In her book Becoming Michelle Obama, she introduces us to a young Michelle at Bryn Mawr Elementary School. Michelle states her advantage because she knew how to read essential words before joining the elementary school. Since a young age, she has been an achiever and loathed being labeled as incapable. It is evidenced by her obsession over the "dime-sized gold-foil stars that Mrs. Burroughs" awarded her bright students, such as Chiaka and Teddy. Michelle Obama talks of a typical mystery and dramatic family. Michelle was an indoor person and liked to play with her dolls, unlike her outgoing brother Craig. She enjoyed watching most activities from the comfort of her bedroom window.
Michelle attempts to identify the repercussions, racial segregation, and other inequalities of 'white migration' from Chicago's south side. Like others, in addition to that, Michelle's parents led a modest but peaceful life in their own right. Michelle tells readers that young children know when they are undervalued, due to her own experience as a black girl growing up in an age in which color or racial inequality was intense (Obama, 2019). She emphasizes the effects of racial discrimination, particularly on children, as they end up losing their skin color in many ways.
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In this chapter, Michelle reveals the significance of race as a black person. She explains the racism aimed at them at Park Forest, and she describes how inept teachers were; they hated children and branded them as "the poor ones." She addresses not only the problem of racial discrimination but also explains that positivity is necessary to solve these problems (Obama, 2019). Although she is black and poor, Michelle demonstrates that a parent has a significant role in influencing her child's life. The parents of Obama did not concentrate on bigotry but instead focused on their love and attention on their children and wished they would be healthy.
Reminiscing her high school years, Michelle seeks to remind the reader of the impact of stereotyping on a child's mind and growth. Obama states that a child becomes increasingly conscious of stereotypes with age, which affect minority children from marginalized ethnic groups, including African Americans. It can be seen from the personal perspective of the author. Because of her history, she wondered whether she was good enough for elite family peers. Stereotyping and gazing at a single group culminates in doubting oneself and often leads to a sense of belonging. She touches on the power of privilege and association (Obama, 2019). However, Michelle is evident in her parents' sacrifices to ensure that she and her brother Craig got the best. Parents are an integral part of building a child's confidence, and Michelle emphasizes that her parents' sacrifices and investments made her confident.
Michelle introduces the audience to her college life at Princeton, where she majored in Sociology. She was a good student and attained high grades. However, experience at Princeton was very different from where she came grew up. Michelle would proudly state that she came from the Southside of Chicago whenever she was asked. Her college life was filled with memories from happy ones to sad ones. Some included times spend with her footballer boyfriend and losing her close friend and grandfather (Obama, 2019). Michelle went to Harvard Law School from Princeton University and finally obtained a well-paying career.
The seventh chapter also explains the devotion of Michelle to her AFA heritage. Her success is due to her parents' and family's ideals and family instilled and the desire to demonstrate that the South Side created successful people willing to make a difference (Obama, 2019). She recognizes that her drive is not only logic, but that other people approve of her reflection. She felt the need to demonstrate that she was good enough to get an opportunity to obliged the author to work hard to obtain the Harvard Law School entry. Subsequently, Michelle teaches the audience that hard work, focus, and determination helps one succeed no matter their background.
Michelle explains the dire situation in Chicago because of the production of crack cocaine. Instead of attending schools, gangs struggled for the market share of young boys who would sell them. In the eighth chapter, Michelle's first meeting with Barack Obama at the Sidley & Austin Company is addressed. Though Michelle was not drawn to Barack's striking beauty, her relationship eventually grew. Michelle planned her life carefully and had little interest in dating. What she did not know was that a man whose reputation was an alien name would go to her office, late, and change the course of her life (Obama, 2019). A kiss between Michelle and Barack sealed the fate of their relationship. She gives her audience a look into her intriguing relationship with Barack stating that she was attracted to his love for reading.
At the beginning of this chapter, Obama demonstrates, for instance, how wrong choices in life can disillusion an individual. In an earlier chapter, she suggested that she did not solely base her drive in the career choice on intuition, but also other people's reflection. Looking back, Michelle regretted that her choice of career limited her to her target. Michelle also touches on how the family unit shapes a personal perspective on marriage. Both Michelle and Barack had different points of view about marriage because of their different upbringing.
Michelle takes us through the pain and grieves she felt when her father died, that coupled with the death of her friend, Susanne, at a very young age. Michelle notes that both her father and Susanne's loss weighed on her life and purpose (Obama, 2019). She shares her belief that a person's life is too short to live unfulfilling, rewarding, and joy-free. She desired not only marriage and children but also a career that would make her life happy and meaningful. Michelle and Barack get married in 1992 at the trinity church on the south side (Obama, 2019). Michelle introduces us to her mentors, Valerie and Susan. She explains women's liberation; with veneration, she describes how Valerie and Susan could make their children's needs an unwelcome priority. Working with Valerie and Susan helped Michelle reconcile her job with her motherhood later when she was newly married. The author also shows the reader the impact of voting, particularly for African Americans. The number of electors enabled the African American community to realize that change was possible if they engaged in shaping political achievements.
Michelle introduces us to Barack's potential for political grandeur. Even though Michelle knew that he was a revolutionary man from the moment they met, whose goal was changing the world, she acknowledged that either she did not love politics or trained herself to be a politician's wife. Michelle and Barack had a family, and Michelle's priority was giving their children stability. Michelle's family was close; everyone was there for one another, unlike Barack, who grew up without his family. She seems to understand that she has despised politics because it hindered her from spending quality time with her children and husband. As a mother and wife, Michelle understood that she was responsible for supporting her husband to pursue his vision and, therefore, had resentfully moved into public life.
Michelle takes readers along her journey, juggling labor duties, supporting Barack's presidential campaign, and taking care of their children. She seems unaware of her husband's possibility of clinching the presidency from the beginning of the campaign (Obama, 2019). She seems to understand that it was hard for Barack and other African Americans who assumed that certain positions, such as the President, were for white politicians. After casting her vote, Michelle begins to pour out her fear. They both had been waiting for the day for a long, long time. It was on this day that Americans elected their 44th president. After Barack was elected 44th President, the author explains her reaction candidly. She had spent several months and hours on this campaign trail with remarkable calm.
The white house was very different from their home in Chicago. However, Michelle seems to have adapted and well enough to meet the First Lady's standards. She also exposes the race and gender imbalance that has been a catalyst for increased diversity in US politics, which she said was humiliating. However, Michelle acknowledges that, when Congress refused to accept everything Barack suggested, she saw another reality in the House of Representatives (Obama, 2019). The author highlights the race disparity, even in the most incredible house in the US. Furthermore, Michelle Obama explains the presidential isolation and sacrifices. To prevent disruption to regular everyday life, she realized she had to stop her weekly restaurant dinner plans with Barack, and she had to learn to seek permission to do almost everything. Michelle knew that people demanded a lot of her only because she was a black First Lady. However, she was committed to working with purpose, and she introduced healthy living by promoting exercises in schools.
Michelle takes us through her final years in the White House administration and presidential campaigns. Michelle had a great deal to do before leaving the White House by performing several duties. She did not support a Trump presidency because she believed Trumps' statements during the presidential campaign had contravened the principle of decency (Obama, 2019). The Obamas chose to support Hillary Clinton because they thought that she was capable of leading the US. It was presumed that Hillary Clinton would win. However, Michelle and most Americans were shocked when Trump won. Michelle's disappointment on Trump's win is obvious, an occurrence she was unable to process.
Michelle Obama is a great leader in her own right; it is clear the strong leadership qualities. The most important quality is her belief in herself. She has a deep sense of self-confidence that was instilled by her parents at an early age. Furthermore, Michelle is nurture that holds family in high regard. She never loses sight of what is essential, and she prioritizes her husband and children. Her sense of nurturing is also apparent in her campaign in promoting healthy living in schools by encouraging students to exercise. Michelle is goal-oriented and focuses on achieving her goals. It is evident throughout her life and is especially pronounced during her college years and campaigning for Barack's presidency. Michelle's success as the first black First Lady gives hope to all women, especially women of color, to achieve their dreams.
Reference
Obama, M. (2019). Becoming . Wydawnictwo Agora.
