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Wondery Plus subscribers can binge new seasons of American History Tellers early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Imagine it's March 2008, a brisk winter evening in Chicago. You're at home in your living room with your husband, and he's determined to become the President of the United States, but working to secure the Democratic nomination has been an uphill battle.
He's just returned from campaigning in Indiana, and you're happy to have his company before he flies out again in the morning. You've taken a leave of absence from your demanding job at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and you're spending more time with your two young daughters. But the latest campaign controversy has brought more uncertainty this week. Your longtime pastor is under fire for contentious comments he made about the United States and the September 11th attacks. And your husband's critics have seized on the remarks.
After a full day of frantic meetings, you're finally alone with your husband, and you motion for him to join you on the sofa. We have to do something about this. Your husband takes a seat beside you and rubs his face with his hands. It's frustrating. He's our pastor, not our political advisor. But it would seem that denouncing his statements publicly wasn't enough for some folks. It was a good start, but based on what he said...
People are questioning your patriotism and commitment to unity. Anyone who's read my books knows that the last thing I want is more division between Americans. Everyone hasn't read your books. And right now...
People are asking themselves if you're the best candidate for Commander-in-Chief of the United States. You know I've wanted to speak about race in our country for a long time. So you have to give a speech. It's the perfect opportunity to talk about the reality of potentially having a black family in the White House for the first time ever. Your husband shifts uncomfortably as he considers the enormous responsibility. That's true. Think about it. You have a mixed race heritage, and I'm the descendant of slaves.
You have an authority on this topic that no other candidate has. But what if this speech does more harm than good? How could I possibly give a speech that sums up everything I want to say on this very complicated issue? It will be hard. People will analyze every word I say. Giving honest and powerful speeches is your strength. Don't be afraid. You know exactly what to say. I know that you live by the messages of change and hope that you preach.
You smile softly at your husband, watching as he absorbs what you've said. Then his face settles into a look of determination, one you know well. He's decided that this is the right thing to do.
So he draws you in and squeezes you tightly, giving you a long hug. The campaign trail so far has been arduous, but this conversation is necessary, and you're not scared to have it. You know that if your husband wins, it won't only change your life dramatically, it'll change the course of history.
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Fuel up at Shell. Download the Shell app to find a station today. From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American History Tellers. Our history, your story. In March 2008, Michelle Obama and her husband, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, faced a critical moment on the path to the White House.
ABC News broadcast clips of their pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright Jr., giving incendiary sermons, and Wright's critics began to call into question the Obamas' racial politics, commitment to unity, and even their love for the United States. So Michelle urged Barack to directly address the issue.
That month, she accompanied him to Philadelphia, where he delivered a passionate speech about race and belonging in America that condemned Wright's remarks and clarified his feelings on racial division and unity. The candid, personal speech marked a turning point in Barack's campaign and reignited Americans' trust in him as a politician who valued progress and supported people of all backgrounds. In November 2008, Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States.
As first lady and the first black woman to occupy the role, Michelle faced daily scrutiny over everything from her speeches to her appearance. While she had never considered herself a political person, she was determined to use her platform to serve the communities she cared about, a passion shaped by her upbringing in Chicago and challenges faced during her early education and career.
And over the eight years the Obamas were in office, Michelle would learn to navigate the contradictions of her role, eventually ending her tenure as one of the most popular First Ladies of the modern era. In this series, we're exploring the groundbreaking achievements of five of America's most remarkable First Ladies, from their origins to the moment they courageously stepped into the role and beyond. If you'd like to learn more about other notable First Ladies, you can read about them in a new book inspired by this podcast.
The Hidden History of the White House takes readers inside the iconic seat of American presidential power, revealing 15 behind-the-scenes moments that changed the course of history, like First Lady Dolly Madison's efforts to save priceless American artifacts from the British when they burned down the White House in 1814, or First Lady Edith Wilson's decision to keep her husband Woodrow's stroke a secret and assume his presidential duties. The Hidden History of the White House is available now from William Morrow, wherever you get your books.
Follow the link in the show notes to learn more. This is the last episode in our five-part series on First Ladies, Michelle Obama. Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born in Chicago in 1964. She, her older brother Craig, and her parents, Frazier Robinson III and Marion Shields Robinson, lived on the South Side.
Michelle's ancestors on both sides of her family had been enslaved, and their descendants had made their way to Chicago from the South during the Great Migration, when millions of Black Americans flocked north and west in search of safety and better economic opportunities.
During Michelle's childhood in the late 1960s, Chicago was a hotbed of political and racial turbulence. In many neighborhoods, including the one the Robinsons settled in, white people fled as more black people moved in. When Michelle was just a toddler, her family moved from Parkway Gardens, an affordable housing project, to a 700-square-foot bungalow less than three miles away. The house belonged to Marion's aunt and uncle. Michelle, her brother, and their parents squeezed into a tiny second-floor apartment.
But despite the social upheaval in Chicago, the Robinson family was happy, and Michelle's parents had stable jobs. Marion worked as a secretary, and Frazier tended boilers at a water filtration plant. Outside of his day job, Frazier also volunteered as a precinct captain for the Democratic Party.
Michelle was a high-achieving student, but outside of school she had little interest in playing with the other children in the neighborhood. She preferred to stay home with her dolls and hang out with her older brother. And she also spent hours learning to play the piano under the tutelage of her great-aunt Robbie, who was strict but encouraging.
Her father influenced her, too. Frazier dutifully reported to his job at the water filtration plant daily without complaint despite having multiple sclerosis, which affected his immune and nervous systems and inhibited his mobility. As the disease progressed and his legs became weaker, he had difficulty walking. It hurt Michelle to see her father struggle, but she knew that he did not like to feel helpless, and his physical limitations didn't prevent him from offering her advice and support.
Michelle's parents put great emphasis on the value of education, and in 1977, she began attending Whitney M. Young, a magnet high school established to bring together exceptional students of different races and ethnicities. So Michelle was soon making a 90-minute bus commute to Whitney Young on the west side of downtown Chicago. At first, Michelle was intimidated by the other high-achieving students. To her, they looked confident, and she doubted whether she could keep up. The question of whether she was good enough began to haunt her.
Even so, she was committed to success and spent three hours commuting to and from Whitney Young every school day. Though she struggled with tests, she took several honors classes and studied faithfully and soon made friends with other students, including Santita Jackson, the daughter of preacher and political leader Jesse Jackson.
Jackson was a powerful community leader with ambitions of being the first ever black president of the United States, which meant that Michelle was sometimes dragged along to rallies and parades the family attended. But the chaos and excitement of politics left a sour taste in Michelle's mouth. She decided she didn't care much for politics and certainly didn't want to participate in the spectacles that politics necessitated.
When Michelle began weighing her options for college, she had her sights set on the East Coast. Since her brother Craig was already attending Princeton and seemed to like it, that university quickly became her top choice. And by her senior year of high school, she had cultivated more confidence in her academic abilities. She believed that she had the credentials to get into an Ivy League school. But not everyone agreed.
Imagine it's a mild fall day in 1980 in Chicago. You're a college counselor, and it's your job to help students through the process of applying for schools. You've had a long day of meetings with seniors, but you have one more before you head home. As your last student of the day walks into your office, you give her record a glance and motion to the chair in front of you. Please, have a seat.
You look at the student over the top of your thick, square glasses. She smiles and sits down. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and she's wearing small hoop earrings. She seems nervous, but eager to speak with you. My teacher said that you'd help me with the process of applying to college. My parents didn't finish college, but I have an older brother, and he got into a good school. Can you help me? Yes, that's my job.
You squint and push your glasses up the bridge of your nose as you scan the paper in your hands.
You like your job, but it does require you to be a realist sometimes. You've seen students aim higher than they should and then get rejected from schools they set their hearts on. Your test scores are just okay. I'm in the top 10% of my class, though. I'm a good student, and I know that I'm capable of getting into good colleges. Yes, you could probably get into a good school. By the way, I don't think you've told me. What college would you like to go to? Well...
I want to go to the same college as my older brother, Princeton. Honey, I don't think you have what it takes to get into an institution like Princeton. What do you mean? Well, for starters, just being in the top 10% won't earn you guaranteed Ivy League admission. I don't want to sound rude, but like I said, it's my job to support students as they go through this process. If you're a lot more realistic, this doesn't have to be painful.
You notice a shift in the young woman's demeanor. Seems you've struck a nerve. She looks you right in the eye. You know, tearing down students' aspirations doesn't make you good at your job. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I won't apologize for telling the truth. What if we explored some other options? I'm going to get into Princeton without your help. You'll see.
She storms out of the room and slams the door shut behind her. You feel sorry for her. You've seen seniors get their hopes up plenty of times, only to be disappointed when their rejection letters arrive in the mail. You know she doesn't fit the typical profile of a Princeton student, but she's clearly confident in her ability to get in. You've done what you can, and now it's up to her to chart her own path in life.
At a meeting with her high school counselor, Michelle was discouraged from applying to an Ivy League school, but she ignored her counselor's advice and skepticism. She applied to Princeton and was accepted.
There, Michelle chose sociology as her major and African American Studies as a minor. Though she had come to despise the theatrics and unpredictability of politics, she was invested in civil rights causes and community engagement. She went to seminars that featured Rosa Parks and other civil rights trailblazers. Michelle also found a haven in the Third World Center, a central hub on campus where non-white residents socialized and organized presentations.
But the majority of students at Princeton were white and male, and Michelle felt the weight of old norms that sidelined and excluded black students. The school's decade-old traditions and largely homogenous student body made Michelle more aware of her blackness than she'd ever been. But she still managed to make friends on campus, including her roommate, Suzanne Allaylee, who had a laid-back attitude and a penchant for adventure.
Though Michelle had an active social life at Princeton, her status as a racial minority amplified her feelings of inadequacy. She felt propelled to work harder and prove her worth. And as her graduation date approached, she prepared to climb the corporate ladder that many of her Ivy League colleagues aspired to, though she questioned whether her experiences at Princeton would drive her to further assimilate into a white society that would never fully accept her.
In her 1985 thesis, Princeton Educated Blacks and the Black Community, Michelle struggled to reconcile her desire for what was considered a prestigious and respectable career with her yearning to pursue community-centered work that benefited black people.
But above all, she was motivated to be successful. So after graduating from Princeton in the fall of 1985, she began attending Harvard Law School. Harvard was also overwhelmingly white, but Michelle maintained her commitment to black issues by volunteering as an editor for the Harvard Black Letter Law Journal and becoming a member of the Black Law Students Association. After getting her law degree from Harvard in 1988, Michelle took a position at the private law firm Sidley & Austin in Chicago.
Despite being swamped with work as a first-year lawyer, Michelle was still expected to mentor younger associates. So when a 27-year-old mixed-race Harvard student named Barack Obama earned a position as a summer associate at Sidley in Austin, Michelle was assigned to be his advisor.
Michelle's colleagues sold Barack as a handsome prodigy, but Michelle was harder to impress. And when Barack started expressing romantic interest in Michelle, she rejected his advances. She was busy with her career and had sworn off dating. Plus, she was his advisor and mentor. Michelle also worried about their suitability. She liked structure and control, while Barack was casual and comfortable with unpredictability.
But fate had other plans, and despite her reservations, Barak quickly grew on her, and they fell in love.
Then, in 1990, Michelle's life was upended when her good friend Susanna Lely died from cancer at just 26 years old. Then, less than a year later, tragedy struck again when Michelle's father had a heart attack and died at 55. These losses were emotionally devastating for Michelle, but they also made her realize that time is precious. She had been putting in countless hours at the law firm, but she realized that she wanted to interact with and help people more directly.
So she decided to leave law and dive headfirst into a career in public service. Michelle soon landed a job at the mayor's office in Chicago, working for Valerie Jarrett, the deputy chief of staff. Over time, Jarrett would become Michelle and Barack's close friend and an indispensable colleague. By this time, Michelle and Barack had been dating for a few years, and in October of 1992, they married at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
In the early years of their marriage, Barack kept himself busy with work. Motivated by the potential to create social change, he took on a successful voter registration drive for the non-profit organization Project Vote in 1992. He also taught constitutional law, worked at a civil rights law firm, and began writing his first memoir, Dreams from My Father.
Michelle soon left her job in City Hall to lead a non-profit organization that trained people from diverse backgrounds to become community leaders. She loved this new job, and she was proud of her work in her home city.
But just as Michelle found her stride in her career, Barack began seriously considering running for the Illinois State Senate. At first, Michelle was hesitant. She believed there were better ways for him to make a difference, and she didn't want him to be chewed up by the political machine. But eventually, she relented, trusting her husband's judgment. And in November of 1996, Barack was elected state senator of the 13th District of Illinois. It seems Michelle was destined for a life in politics, whether she liked it or not.
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On July 4th, 1998, Michelle and Barack Obama began a new phase of their life by welcoming their first daughter, Malia. But the balance that the couple had found was steadily shifting. Michelle's career was rewarding, but it was consuming, and Malia required a lot of attention and care.
On top of that, Barack was re-elected to the Illinois Senate that same year. Then he ran for the U.S. House in 2000, but he lost the bid after his Democratic opponent, Bobby Rush, rebuked his absence during a crime bill vote and denounced his Harvard education as elitist. Despite Barack's professional setbacks, their family continued to grow, and on June 10, 2001, just before Malia turned three, their second daughter Natasha, who they called Sasha, was born.
Sasha's birth put additional strain on Michelle's schedule. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with her children, but the struggles of balancing a demanding career and child-rearing while her husband traveled for work weighed on her. In 2001, Michelle took a job at the University of Chicago Medical Center. But as a mother and the wife of a busy politician, she was mindful not to overcommit. She would turn down small projects at work and sometimes had to minimize her effort when mentoring new employees.
But once again, just as she managed to balance her responsibilities, Barack chose to advance his political career by running for the U.S. Senate. Initially, Michelle was not happy with the decision. Barack wanted to have a bigger impact on the national stage and was optimistic about his odds for winning. But Michelle knew it would be an expensive and risky campaign. Barack was up against a contingent of notable and wealthy Democratic opponents, and he had just lost a congressional race.
Michelle knew that this campaign would consume Barack's time and energy just like the others had, and add more stress to their family life. But in 2002, at a brunch with some friends and colleagues, including Valerie Jarrett, Barack made his case. He felt confident he could raise the necessary campaign funds, and this time he could win. Michelle wasn't sure what the outcome of the race would be, but she never wanted to stifle Barack's dreams.
So finally, Michelle agreed to let him run, but under one condition. If he didn't win this election, he'd have to give up politics for good. The Obamas poured considerable resources into Barack's Senate campaign. They took out a second mortgage to finance the effort. And Michelle was compelled to participate in the campaign more than she had in any of Barack's other bids. When he was busy with his state senator duties, she would step in and accept awards, host fundraisers, and speak at rallies.
And her visibility would only increase when John Kerry's presidential campaign team invited Barack to speak at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Barack was considered a rising star, and the Democratic Party would benefit if he won a spot in the U.S. Senate. So on July 27, 2004, Barack gave a speech in Boston that would change the Obamas' lives forever.
Barack delivered this speech to a crowd of thousands, viewed by millions more on television. In his address, he called on Americans to find hope and come together as a single American family. His 17-minute speech drew widespread acclaim, and Barack was propelled into the national spotlight.
In the wake of this speech, Barack's rallies attracted larger crowds, and people began asking him to speak at their events and attend their fundraisers. And it wasn't long before some Democrats even began to suggest he run for president, a sentiment that Michelle felt was premature. All the new attention felt surreal to Michelle, but she also knew the hard work Barack had put in was coming to fruition.
In November that year, Barack won his Senate election, but Michelle chose to stay with the kids in Chicago while he moved to Washington, D.C. She felt no need to uproot her life and leave the network she had worked so hard to build. She was committed to her own job, and she and Barack were even looking into buying a new house in Chicago.
Also, Michelle maintained that Washington's established customs confused her, and Barack was getting comfortable with having to split his time between two cities anyway. But she knew she would have to reckon with the possibility that Barack really was interested in becoming the President of the United States.
And even when her brother, Craig, made clear that he would enthusiastically back Barack if he ran for president, Michelle was still not on board. But when Barack's second book, The Audacity of Hope, was published in October of 2006, its success led to more calls for a presidential bid, and Barack acknowledged publicly that he had thought about running.
But while Barack entertained strangers' questions about his future, Michelle had questions of her own. She wondered how a presidential campaign would affect their children, how they could afford to run, and whether winning was even possible. She also talked to Barack about the future of her career, considering whether she would be willing to sacrifice her work for the sake of his.
Michelle wanted to plan thoroughly and consider all her options. She needed to make sure they both understood how draining and difficult a run would be. In the end, Michelle's decision to support her husband's presidential run hinged on her belief in doing what was best for the nation.
But she knew victory was far from certain. And after more than five years of controversial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the nation was divided and the economy faced rising debt and lower job growth. Plus, Barack was a young candidate, just 45 years old, and a black man. Michelle was well aware that no black candidate or family member had ever made it to the White House. But on February 10, 2008,
2007. On a freezing sunny morning in Springfield, Illinois, the Obamas stood in front of a crowd of 17,000 people and announced Barack's presidential run. The campaign trail that followed was grueling. Michelle scaled back on her work at the University of Chicago Medical Center and became heavily involved in the campaign, again often acting as surrogate for her husband. She took daily flights to give speeches and meet supporters, but she made sure she was home in time to put her daughters to bed.
But this high-profile campaign also brought increased scrutiny. Michelle was now exposed to the judgmental public eye. People questioned everything about her, whether she was racist, whether she was patriotic, and whether she was an asset or a liability to her husband. And as the campaign thrust Michelle into the political limelight, she once again began to wonder whether she was good enough, just as she had done so many times before in the past.
That uncertainty swelled when she was called to an unexpected meeting in Chicago. Imagine it's the spring of 2008 in Chicago. You're an advisor on Barack Obama's presidential campaign, and it's been a long week of fast-paced travel and urgent meetings. Today, you have a morning meeting that you're not looking forward to. You rub your eyes, tired of staring at a computer screen, and ready to get this task out of the way. Your friend Michelle Obama walks into the room. You gesture to the chair next to you.
She takes a seat between you and your colleague, David Axelrod. Michelle, I know we don't have a lot of time here, so I won't waste it. Your speeches have really been getting people excited. There's no doubt about that. This can't be good news. I feel a butt coming. I have to tell you, your words are wonderful, but your delivery is harsh. She tilts her head in confusion. I've been speaking the same way for months. I know. That's the issue.
I've been replaying videos of your speeches and, well, take a look. What am I supposed to be looking at? It's me. I know how I look. Pay close attention to your facial expressions. David plays a minute of one of her speeches with the volume muted, so she's forced to watch silently. I never knew I looked so mean. Well, it's clear you're passionate. But to people who don't know you as well as we do, it might look a bit severe.
But on the plus side, it's not like you have to rework your whole stump speech. This is an easy fix. I just need you to soften your demeanor slightly, so people don't misinterpret your words. Why didn't anyone tell me? People have been calling me militant, saying I don't have class. You scoff and wave your hand. Forget about that. But we all want Barack to win, so every little detail matters. We know you aren't doing it on purpose.
Tears are welling up in her eyes. You know how hard your friend is trying and how difficult it must be for her to get this feedback. She turns towards you and you squeeze her hand. I wish you would have told me sooner, but I'm glad you said something. I have to be honest. We weren't paying enough attention to your speeches, and that's our fault. So we're going to fix that. Okay. But if my work on the trail is so important, I'm going to need more training and support.
I know I have my work cut out for me. You know that she's a woman of her word and a fast learner. You give her a hug and she leaves the room. The office is silent. You feel terrible about the public scrutiny she's had to endure. But now that you understand the problem, you think you can fix it. You're determined to help her perform better and drive the campaign to even greater heights.
After Michelle's close friend and advisor Valerie Jarrett let her know that her public demeanor needed work, Michelle softened her facial expressions and asked for more support. She gained access to a campaign plane and expanded her team to include a scheduler, personal aide, and communication specialist. She still received racist and sexist comments about her appearance, but most crowds liked her. And soon she was converting so many of Barack's fans to voters that she became known as the Closer.
In the end, Michelle's hard work in support of her husband paid off. In November 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election. Michelle was still skeptical about politics, but she couldn't ignore the fact that she and her husband were about to make history. Barack was about to become the first black president of the United States, and she, a black woman, was about to join him in the White House as first lady.
In January of 2009, George W. Bush and his wife Laura left the White House and the Obamas moved in. Michelle's mom, Marion, joined them. Their new life would require a lot of adjustment. But for Michelle, the silver lining was that Barack would now be able to spend more time with the family.
But while Barack carried an enormous weight as the first black president, Michelle had no clear job description for her role as First Lady. Though she was aware of the lineage she was stepping into, she focused on finding ways to make the position her own. She knew as First Lady she would be required to participate in social gatherings, but she wanted to bring her passion for public service front and center.
To start, she wanted the White House to be open to people of all backgrounds, not just wealthy people and dignitaries. She also aimed to ensure that everyday people like artists and military families were invited to White House social events. Though she knew political spaces could have rigid rules, she felt optimistic about her ability to establish meaningful programs as First Lady. One of her first actions was to start a White House vegetable garden.
believing it would be a simple yet effective way to start conversations about children's health and the quality of food and nutrition in the United States. Her family and White House guests ate meals that included produce from the garden, and some of the fruits and vegetables were donated to charities. She even expanded on the mission that inspired the garden by starting a new initiative. Along with White House chef Sam Kass, she started Let's Move as an effort to help children and adults become more physically active and eat more nutritious foods.
She was also motivated to bring attention to the issues that people in the U.S. faced regarding food and fitness, such as rising food costs, the lack of access to nutritious food options, and the complexity of food labels. To Michelle, more nutritious food and physical activity would make people happier and healthier.
She would later launch another key initiative called Joining Forces, along with Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Joe Biden's wife. Through this program, Michelle worked to get businesses to hire and train more than a million military spouses and veterans. The initiative also secured professional licensing agreements that made it easier for military spouses to get jobs when they switched states.
Michelle wanted her community work as First Lady to be taken seriously, and her early initiatives were generally well-received. But she was still subject to scrutiny. And as she settled into life at the White House, she faced more criticism than ever before.
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When you find a professional on Angie to make your backyard the best around. Connect with skilled professionals to get all your home projects done well. Inside to outside. Repairs to renovations. Get started on the Angie app or visit Angie.com today. You can do this when you Angie that. During her first year in the White House, Michelle Obama's initiatives were largely well-regarded. But she wasn't spared the public's criticism.
Conservative commentators frequently mentioned her weight, claiming that her size invalidated her programs on nutrition. And when she wore a pair of $500 shoes to a food bank in 2009 near the end of the Great Recession, people called it inappropriate and accused her of being insensitive.
Michelle did her best to ignore the critics and focused instead on making sure that in the midst of such intense public scrutiny, her daughters had some semblance of a normal upbringing. They made their beds, hung out with friends from school, and played in the White House hallways and on the grounds. She tried to instill in them the values of humility and hard work that she had learned as a child. It helped that her mother, Marion, lived with them and helped care for Malia and Sasha.
But while Michelle focused on her family and her initiatives as First Lady, outside the gates of the White House, the nation was in turmoil. Economic crisis, war, and health care access dominated much of the political discourse during the Obamas' first four years in the White House. During this time, Republicans, who took control of the House of Representatives in 2010, put forth massive efforts to block Obama's bills and often succeeded. They disliked the President's policy approaches, including the Affordable Care Act and his response to the recession.
And despite their history-making election, the Obamas remained keenly aware of the persistent racial divide in America. In February 2012, George Zimmerman shot and killed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida, drawing outrage and sparking a debate on gun and racial violence. This clearly demonstrated that the U.S. was not in a post-racial era, as so many Americans had suggested, and that having a black family in the White House was not a cure for racism.
But even in the face of these challenges and Barack's low approval ratings, he decided to campaign for a second term. The process was exhausting, but Michelle felt a duty to continue her work and do as much as she could to help people. Carrying the role of First Lady of the United States was a huge responsibility, and she felt the pressure to make the most of her time in the White House.
After a grueling re-election campaign, on November 6, 2012, Barack Obama was re-elected after defeating Republican Mitt Romney with 51% of the popular vote. The Obamas geared up for another four years in the White House.
During Barack's second term, issues like climate change, mass shootings, and racial violence rose to the forefront. On December 14, 2012, a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 26 students and faculty members. This tragedy elevated conversations around gun control just as Barack's second term began.
Then, in January 2013, Hydea Pendleton, a 15-year-old girl, was accidentally shot and killed at a park in Chicago. Michelle hadn't been emotionally prepared to attend vigils after the massacre at Sandy Hook, but when Pendleton died, she flew to Chicago to attend her funeral with friend Valerie Jarrett.
Imagine it's February of 2013 in Chicago. It's barely a month into your second term as First Lady, and it's a somber day. You took a last-minute flight to get to Hydea Pendleton's funeral. There's been so much violence in the news, and you're trying not to feel hopeless. You've spent the last several hours watching Pendleton's friends and family members tell stories about her as she lay in her casket nearby. The funeral has just ended, and you're trying not to feel hopeless.
and you've stepped outside the church to speak with your friend and your husband's advisor, Valerie Jarrett, who came along with you. After Sandy Hook, I didn't think it could get much worse. All those innocent children, dead. I can't imagine how their parents feel. I think about Malia and Sasha, and it hurts. I wish I had the right words to say, but I really don't. What more can anyone say? We've seen mass shootings before, and they always make me sick.
Each shooting building on the horror of the last one. I'm not sure how to carry all this grief. Barack sees so many awful things. But Sandy Hook was different. For the first time since he's been president, he needed me to comfort him. And now this one. Well, you and Barack are always talking about how important it is to have hope and work together.
That's what we're doing now, here at Hadiya's funeral. Another child died. And the terrible thing is, more will. That's a reality you have to face as you start your second term as First Lady. I'm scared. I think many of us are. Think about all the young people we saw here today. We have to take care of them and make sure they get the opportunities they deserve.
You look around at all the funeral attendees' solemn faces. They're quiet, but their grief is apparent. You get the sudden urge to give them all hugs as you consider how much of a privilege it is to be First Lady. I know. You're right. I have so much power to make real change. We all do. But I'm in the White House.
You look down for a moment, thinking about how Hydea was just a little girl in a working-class area of Chicago with a loving, supportive family. This could have been you. Hydea's mother was so happy to have you here. We may not know her pain and what she's going through, but just being here speaks volumes about your priorities. We need to do our best to make sure that young people have the chance to live long, happy, fruitful lives.
You realize that you have to help get teenagers like Hydea and her friends the mentorship and resources they need. You make your way back inside the church, determined to do whatever you can to protect the young people of this community and to allow them to pursue their dreams.
During her second term, Michelle was deeply affected by the murders of innocent children and the trauma that lingered for families and communities. The atrocities stunned her, but she was determined to support children and young adults any way she could. She was inspired to introduce two new initiatives, Reach Higher and Let Girls Learn. The former encouraged higher education, and the latter supported education for girls around the world.
These initiatives recognize the social barriers that keep some girls from accessing a quality education, such as poverty and health care. Michelle embraced the notion that when girls are educated, communities can better handle adversity. They are safer and they are more prosperous.
But beyond these initiatives, Michelle also made an effort to reach out to young people and interact with Americans in less formal ways. She changed her approach to doing press and embrace social media, making short-form videos, tweeting, and posting photos on Instagram. And she was interviewed in outlets different from the mainstream, like mommy blogs.
She used these platforms to talk about issues like immigration and to raise awareness of issues she cared about, as she did when she used the hashtag 62milliongirls on Twitter to bring attention to girls' education around the world.
By 2016, the Obamas were preparing for a smooth transition out of the White House and campaigning for Hillary Clinton, who had been Secretary of State during Barack's first term. Michelle harnessed her knack for impactful rhetoric when she gave a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. In response to increasing verbal attacks on her family and Clinton, Michelle declared, When they go low, we go high.
a phrase that would resonate for many Americans who were disappointed by the vicious partisan divide and the attacks on her and her family. But just as George W. Bush and Laura Bush had done for them, the Obamas worked to make their transition out of the White House as smooth as possible for the ultimate victor of the election, Donald J. Trump and his family.
Through all the criticisms, Michelle Obama was a popular leader. Upon leaving her post as First Lady, 68% of Americans viewed her favorably. And since leaving the political sphere, she has continued to support women and girls by launching initiatives like the Girls' Opportunity Alliance, which encourages girls to pursue education and leadership roles. In 2018, she also created When We All Vote, an initiative that aims to register new voters and advocates for voters' rights.
Her mission to give back to the communities she cared about has remained foundational to her work and life after the White House. As the first ever Black First Lady of the United States, Michelle defied stereotypical narratives about what was possible for a Black girl from the inner city to achieve. She uplifted the importance of education, nutrition, and art. And she inspired children around the world to believe in their voices and visions in order to empower future generations.
From Wondery, this is Episode 5 of First Ladies from American History Tellers. In our next episode, I speak with journalist and author Kate Anderson Brower. Her book, First Women, The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies, offers a glimpse into the lives of the women of the White House, from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama.
If you'd like to learn more about Michelle Obama, we recommend Becoming by Michelle Obama and Michelle Obama, A Life by Peter Slevin.
American History Tellers is hosted, edited, and produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Christian Paraga. Sound design by Molly Park. Music by Lindsey Graham. Voice acting by Ace Anderson and Cat Peoples. This episode is written by Yves Jeffco. Edited by Dorian Marina. Produced by Alita Rozansky. Our production coordinator is Desi Blaylock.
Managing Producer Matt Gant. Senior Managing Producer Ryan Lohr. Senior Producer Andy Herman. Executive Producers are Jenny Lauer Beckman, Marsha Louis, and Erin O'Flaherty for Wondery. Hey, this is Leon Nafok. I want to tell you about my new series, Backfired, The Vaping Wars, available now on Audible. What happened when two Stanford graduate students set out to create a new kind of cigarette, one that wouldn't kill people?
Backfired is a tale of opportunity, addiction, and good intentions gone awry, exploring Juul Labs' rise and fall in the insane illegal vape market that has sprouted up in its wake. To hear the whole story, go to audible.com slash backfired and sign up for a free trial. That's audible.com slash backfired.