Michelle Obama is empowering young girls and taking on new projects, continuing to follow her own interests after nearly a decade in the White House.
While being alongside her husband in the White House provided Obama with ample opportunities, she did not get to experience the total freedom of pursuing issues of great value to her. Being able to step out of her role as First Lady has allowed Obama to take the country by storm in her own way.
Friend and former White House adviser, Valerie Jarrett, commented on Obama’s new opportunities, stating, “The possibilities are infinite. Now she’s able to lead her best life and to create and own it in her own image.”
During a very well-deserved break beginning in January 2017, Obama took time to reflect on the issues that truly mattered to her and came back with several projects that connected her to these issues.
Obama recently revealed a new project she has been developing called the Global Girls Alliance. Over the past year, she has worked diligently on the Alliance which “seeks to empower adolescent girls around the world through education, allowing them to achieve their full potential and transform their families, communities, and countries.”
This past summer, Obama began an initiative to encourage more American citizens to register to vote. The initiative began with a public service announcement in which Obama encouraged Americans to discuss the importance of voting with their friends and family. She also spoke to crowds of people in both Las Vegas and Miami to stress the importance of taking to the polls on Election Day.
These endeavors were only the beginning for Michelle Obama since leaving the White House.
This November, Obama will release her memoir titled Becoming, which she describes as being “honest” and “totally and utterly me.” Obama sought the help of friends and staff to assist her in telling the stories throughout the memoir to achieve a greater sense of detail. Her aides accounted for the hundreds of hours she spent working on the memoir, editing on paper.
With the upcoming release of Becoming, Obama has embarked on a book tour, during which she will speak publically in ten cities across the country. Tickets have sold so quickly and are in such high demand that Obama has since added second tour dates in both New York City and Washington.
With fans being inspired by Obama and her dedication to bettering the country, many are calling on her to run in the next presidential election. While flattered, Obama has expressed why she does not wish to dive into the political world, saying, “As a woman you understand where your voice works best. I want to serve, I want to do work. I want to be out there but there are so many ways to make an impact. Politics is just not my thing. It’s as simple as that.”
While a presidential campaign from Michelle Obama is not likely, her work towards the education of young women and voter registration is influential and inspiring. Stepping out of the White House has granted Obama the ability to use her unmatched dedication to better the country as a whole.
Featured Image by U.S. Department of Agriculture on Flickr
Attribution-NoDrivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)
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