Queen Mother Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama
Queen mothers (also Queenmothers) are leaders and women of power in Africa. They play an important role in local government and wield social power and influence.
In celebration of “Women’s History Month”, we are honoring women within our community, both past and present, who through their painstaking efforts in the community merit the revered title of Queen Mother.
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson was born Jan. 17, 1964 on Chicago’s South Side to a homemaker and a factory worker. Watching her father struggle with MS and using two canes to get to his job to provide for his family, she learned
Never view your challenges as obstacles.
Ms. Obama graduated Princeton with a B.A. in Sociology and African-American studies before earning a Law Degree at Harvard. In 1988, back in Chicago, she worked as a junior associate in the law firm where she met Barack Obama. Wanting to serve the public more, she became an assistant to Mayor Daley, and married Barack Obama in 1992 when he was a community organizer. Michelle Obama founded the Chicago branch of Public Allies, a national leadership-training program for young adults. As Barack rapidly rose in politics, Michelle Obama expanded her outreach, first as the Executive Director then as the Vice President of community and external affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center. In 2008, she joined Barack’s campaign. She was proud that Americans eagerly involved themselves in the political process,
. . .we have an obligation to fight for the world as it should be.
As First Lady, Michelle Obama advocated: healthy living; started Let’s Move to end childhood obesity; supported military families; encouraged planting gardens across America starting with her own on the South Lawn of the White House. The Obama family volunteered at homeless shelters and soup kitchens during Barack’s presidency. Michelle Obama wrote the bestselling autobiography, “Becoming“, that became a Netflix documentary, and hosted “The Michelle Obama Podcast” on Spotify. Michelle learned early that
[your] only limit . . . is the reach of
your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.
Does your community have someone who merits the title Queen Mother? Who is she? Acknowledge her in the Comment Section below.