Influential Inspires
“There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.” Many people have inspired or influenced America but Michelle Obama has influenced America ever since she was younger. Michelle LaVaughn Obama was born on January 17,1964, in Chicago, IL, to Fraser C. Robinson III and Marian Shields Robinson. As a child, Michelle grew up in a household where her father was always at work, and her mother stayed home to do household duties. Attending Chicago’s public schools, Michelle Robinson studied sociology and African- American studies at Princeton University. After graduating college, Harvard Law School, Michelle joined the Chicago Law firm, Sidley & Austin in 1988. There Michelle met Barack Obama , the young African American that would become the love of her
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Michelle always states how it was hard struggling with her race to graduate from an elite school. Michelle was just a young African American trying to make a successful life for herself. Michelles encountered what she calls “ naysayers” that put her down, telling her dreams were too high in getting into an elite college. Michelle states, “ The fact that I was a girl, and that I was black, well that certainly didn't help things either.” Michelle struggled doing homework in a little apartment on the Southside of Chicago, in tiny rooms with a twin bed and one little desk. Michelle use to wake up at 4 in the morning just so she could get “some peace and quiet” to do her homework. Michelle never made excuses and still maintained to graduate high school and college. In Fact, after graduating in 1985, Michelle majored in sociology and minored in African American studies, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts.( “ Michelle Obama Shares Her Struggles With Girls in the United Kingdom”). Michelle Obama has gone through many struggles, but still maintained to become the inspirational person she is
President Barack Obama spoke his remarks at Howard University commencement ceremony for the class of 2016. This special moment in the speech is honoring people of color, especially African Americans and made history at this University, having the president to present his speech (Donnella). Obama explained how America was different when he graduated college and society is now accepting new cultures and backgrounds within today’s workforce and education. Obama wants the audience to take opportunities and learning new skills to expand their education.
Obama reminds us of an important piece of history. Education was not always as simple as is is today. We did not always have the rights we do now to be freely educated. At times blacks could not be taught at all for fear of being penalized greatly. At time women could only partake of certain education, never to be higher up, or more successful than a man. On a high note she reminds us that now, in the United States of America we are free to go to school no matter our color, gender, or our religious beliefs. We are reminded that this was not an easy accomplishment for our nation, great loss was to be had for this opportunity of education, and that is why education is to be taken seriously. Obama invites us “If you have a friend or family member who is not taking school seriously go shake them up a bit!” She feels very strongly about this topic of education and does not take lightly her own education. She shares that her schooling was paid for in loans, grants, miscellaneous jobs, and by her dear father. She felt she owed if not to herself, to her hard working dedicated father to finish school and to be successful. To close we are once again reminded by the First Lady that there has been, and continues to be great sacrifice for education so work hard at it. Finally she offers her love well wishes to the graduates of BSU.
The intended audience for this speech was young women who aspire to become a better woman independently. Even though the actual audience was young women, the place where she gave a speech was the best place to show the similarity between Michelle Obama and her intended audience. The school was “girls-only, inner-city, its pupils, of whom 20% are the children of refugees... 92% of whom are from a black or minority background”(Cadwalladr, 2009, para.9). She says, “ I want you to know that we have very much in common”(1:24). Then, “I did not raise with wealth or resources or any social standing to speak of, and I raised on the Southside of Chicago. That is the real part of Chicago”(1:50). She uses her personal statement to lose the gap between
Both of his parents, actually met in the University of Hawaii, His father being Barack Obama Sr, who was actually a black foreign student born in Kenya, and his Mother Ann Dunham, was a white american from Kansas. After the birth of Barack Obama, two years later both parents decided to get in a Divorce, and the father left to go continue his studies at Harvard University, after he was done, 19 years later he died in a car accident taken placed back at his home country in Kenya. From age six through ten, Obama lived with his mother and stepfather in Indonesia, where he attended Catholic and Muslim schools. After a couple of years in Indonesia, her mother grew a concern with the education of her son, then latter sending him back to Hawaii to continue his studies, he went back to then live his his grandparents, in which he will be raised by in his teen years. He later continued to attend Hawaii’s prestigious Punahou School from fifth grade through graduation from high school. Making him really smart, all due to the hard work the school had to offer in terms of education. His mother later had seemed to have problems with her husband, and decided to get in a divorce, and continued to then travel back into hawaii. At school education wasn’t the only thing that he excelled in, he also was a huge player in his High School Varsity BasketBall Team. But everyone also commits in mistakes, also while growing up he did many kinds of drugs, now he wasn’t necessarily addicted but he tend to do them in multiple occasions. With no father or other family members to serve as role models including the fact that his relationship with his white grandfather was difficult, he wanted to raise himself to be an African American in the United States of America. After the end of his High School career he then continued to remain in his studies and take them elsewhere, he went to the Occidental College in Los Angeles
Obama is intelligent and at one time, earned a higher wage than her husband. Michelle Obama’s mother taught her to read by age four and stressed the importance of education to Michelle and her older brother. She was a gifted student and was not ashamed to take advanced classes. She says “I never cut class. I loved getting A’s, I liked being smart. I liked being on time. I thought being smart was cooler than anything in the world.” Michelle graduated high school as the salutatorian. She attended Princeton University and graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Sociology and a minor in African-American studies. She went on to study law at Harvard and once graduated, she moved to a job as an associate. Working as an associate in Chicago, she met Barack Obama. Mrs. Obama then pursued a job in public service working for the University of Chicago. She continued to work until shortly after her husband’s inauguration. Although it could have been easy to get caught up in the presidential election, Mrs. Obama’s first priority has always been her two daughters, Sasha and
Michelle Obama’s argument was to continue to strengthen the legacy that people that inherited. She had cited the historical analogies and historical leaders of the civil rights movements to urge the importance of education. She started with the history of how Bowie State University started to offer its education in black community and continues with civil rights icons such as Thurgood Marshall and Dr. Martin Luther King who kept on fighting despite of hate from many citizens in the United States during the period. By deriving historical facts in the speech, Michelle Obama demonstrated a strong sense of logos. Furthermore, she cited statistics that education is as important or if not more important than it was back when the Bowie State University was founded (291). Then, she constructed a logical argument that “a recent study” had found “African American women with a college degree live average age of six-and-a-half-years longer than those without.” Legacy is also described as something such as property or money that is received from someone who has died. Michelle Obama had linked education to legacy and that education is necessary in living a longer life (291). So, “carry that legacy forward”
The election of President Obama marks the most noteworthy political accomplishment for African Americans in the United States during the post-civil rights revolution, thus bringing about a change in the country’s social and political landscape that was steeped in racial discrimination since the founding of this great nation. Because social and political conditions are subject to constant change, President Obama’s
Michelle Obama is the topic of this research for she is a role model and inspiration to Americans across the nation. Michelle’s life has shown nothing but mere dedication, outstanding perseverance, a willingness to learn, affect change and be a leader to those who believe and admire her work. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Obama is the daughter of Fraser Robinson III, a city water plant employee and Democratic precinct captain (Slevin, 2015). During her early years, Michelle has seen the detrimental effects segregation can have on a community, which was later reflected on her fight against inequality. Being raised on the
Americans (Whitehouse, 2015). Michelle Obama was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 17th, 1964. Her initial years of education were no different than any other kid. However, Michelle Obama excelled her academic expectancies and was able to skip second grade. In 1975 she was selected to join a gifted student program for 6th grade. Eventually, due to her academic excellence, she was offered the possibility to attend the first magnet school in Chicago. This magnet school focused on a deeper educational curriculum and eventually prepared the students in advance classes for higher education levels (Firstladies.org, 2009).
Initially, she refused to date Barack as she believed that their work relationship would make the romance improper. However, she still opened up her heart and the couple soon fell in love. After two years of dating, Barack proposed, and they got married at Trinity United Church of Christ on October 3, 1992. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha, who were born in 1998 and 2001, respectively. Both Michelle and Barack Obama have claimed that the most precious thing in their lives is their two daughters. In addition, they also realized that moving from Chicago to Washington D.C is going to be a major adaption for any family. Also having to live in the White House, have Secret Service protection and always be public people as their parents have seriously transformed their lives. Therefore, both parents try their best to make their daughters' world as normal and simple as other
Compassionate, independent, determined are three powerful words that truly represent Michelle Obama. Many people know Michelle Obama as the First Lady, but she was much more than that. Michelle Obama changed the world by solving current social issues and left a legacy as the first African American First Lady. As the First Lady, Michelle Obama helped society realize that anyone can help make a change to the world with determination and hard work. As a First Lady, fitness enthusiast, and women's right activist, Michelle Obama left a legacy that was unforgettable. All of her achievements in her life had started from a college and brought her to change the world.
Michelle Obama grew up in Chicago with her father, mother, and brother. She was very close with her family, doing everything together. She and her brother grew up together, both skipping second grade. When Michelle Obama was in sixth grade she attended her school’s gifted and talented and completed many courses. She soon graduated from high school following her brothers steps attending Harvard and studying law.
The speech was held by the First Lady, Michelle Obama, at the DC High School as an educational event for the sophomores. The overriding subject of the speech is education which is an area Michelle Obama and her husband, Barack Obama, has spent a lot of time and resources on. After the introduction of the speech she speaks of a goal that her husband has set for America. She tells that it should be the goal of the entire country to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world in 2020. She explains that it is very important because America was number one in college graduates a generation ago and now they are
President Barack Obama is know for remarkable events such as becoming the first African American president of the United States; however, not everyone knows about what else Obama has done. He is also an author who has written around twenty books including a memoir about his early life leading up to his life in law school, and a children’s book dedicated to his daughters. His most famous book Dreams From My Father, a memoir about his early life leading up to law school, is a prime example of what influenced him to write. There were many things that happened in Obama’s life that caused him to write. Things such as the segregation happening in the U.S at the time, his broken home and his feelings towards his absent father.
Leadership is a skill that one is not born with, but is acquired through life experiences and interactions. Michelle Obama perseverance to attain a higher education, a concept foreign in her family, shows the dedication and determination a leader must have. As a leader, it is imperative that once you establish a mission or purpose, that you, as well as your team members, worked to accomplish that goal. Because of her perseverance, Michelle can be best identified as a pace setter, innovative and charismatic leader because through the various projects she undertook as her role of First Lady, she influences people through personality, inspires passion and the need to be active in one’s own community. For example, this can be seen in her role as Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies where she mobilized youths and community to get active and set fundraising records for the organization that still stood 12 years after she left. Michelle influences people through her own success. Having attended Harvard Law, becoming a top attorney and later the first African American First Lady, she has influenced youths across the nation to believe that anything is possible, so long as they have faith. In accordance to the Leadership Theories, Michelle Obama can be categorized under the Authentic Leadership Approach; for these leaders, their leadership is genuine, develops over time, transparent and driven by moral values (Komives, Lucas&, McMahon). Projects such as Let’s