Thank you all for the birthday love. I say this a lot, and I mean it—I love you back, and I am so grateful for you supporting me during every step of my journey. ❤️
Recently, I sat down with @JayShetty to talk about some of the themes I explore in my book The Light We Carry. From the importance of friendships to the ongoing work of marriage to taking care of your mental health, we covered it all.
Nurturing my friendships is something that has always meant a lot to me. No matter your age or where you are in life, knowing which friends to lean on can be vital in helping us face the challenges that may come our way.
I dig into all this and more with Jay during this episode of On Purpose — listen now on @Audible or wherever you get your podcasts! I hope you’ll check it out.
Sunny Obama’s Christmas dinner 🐾
love, music, the healing power of art… and a little bit of piano magic with @michelleobama and @jonbatiste 🎹 🎶 American Symphony is now playing on Netflix.
Richard Hunt was an acclaimed sculptor and one of the finest artists ever to come out of Chicago. Michelle and I are thinking of Richard’s family today — and we are eternally grateful that his sculpture, “Book Bird,” will sit outside a new branch of the @ChicagoPublicLibrary at the Obama Presidential Center. It will be an inspiration for visitors from around the world, and an enduring reminder of a remarkable man.
Richard Hunt was an acclaimed sculptor and one of the finest artists ever to come out of Chicago. Michelle and I are thinking of Richard’s family today — and we are eternally grateful that his sculpture, “Book Bird,” will sit outside a new branch of the @ChicagoPublicLibrary at the Obama Presidential Center. It will be an inspiration for visitors from around the world, and an enduring reminder of a remarkable man.
Richard Hunt was an acclaimed sculptor and one of the finest artists ever to come out of Chicago. Michelle and I are thinking of Richard’s family today — and we are eternally grateful that his sculpture, “Book Bird,” will sit outside a new branch of the @ChicagoPublicLibrary at the Obama Presidential Center. It will be an inspiration for visitors from around the world, and an enduring reminder of a remarkable man.
Michelle and I are heartbroken to hear about the passing of our friend Charles Ogletree. He was an advocate for social justice, an incredible professor, and a mentor to many – including us. Our thoughts are with his wife Pamela, his entire family, and everyone who knew and loved this remarkable man.
Our fight to protect one of our most sacred rights — the right to equal access to the ballot box — doesn’t begin, or end, on Election Day. And this year, in particular, it could not be more important.
If anyone understood the power of using our voice, it was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This #MLKDay, I hope you’ll join me in honoring Dr. King’s legacy by taking an action that you believe would advance his work. Whether it’s registering to vote with @WhenWeAllVote, texting your friends or family members to remind them to register, or turning a community event into a voter registration event, every small act counts. All of us can play a role in shaping our democracy for the better. I hope you’ll get involved and do your part.
There’s something about @Michele__Norris that just draws people in. As a dear friend of mine, she is someone who I’ve always been able to turn to for an honest and real conversation, no matter what. So when she started The Race Card Project over a decade ago to have an open dialogue surrounding race in this country, I knew it would amount to something powerful.
So much has happened since then. We’ve faced some challenging moments together as a nation, but we’ve all learned a lot about one another, too. Her new book, Our Hidden Conversations, is a testament to that journey. Featuring photos and stories on race from people all over America, it highlights the truths of the American experience — and shares everything, even the messy bits. It’s an incredible read, and I hope you’ll check it out.
Michele, I’m so proud of you. Congratulations on making The New York Times Best Seller list!
There’s something about @Michele__Norris that just draws people in. As a dear friend of mine, she is someone who I’ve always been able to turn to for an honest and real conversation, no matter what. So when she started The Race Card Project over a decade ago to have an open dialogue surrounding race in this country, I knew it would amount to something powerful.
So much has happened since then. We’ve faced some challenging moments together as a nation, but we’ve all learned a lot about one another, too. Her new book, Our Hidden Conversations, is a testament to that journey. Featuring photos and stories on race from people all over America, it highlights the truths of the American experience — and shares everything, even the messy bits. It’s an incredible read, and I hope you’ll check it out.
Michele, I’m so proud of you. Congratulations on making The New York Times Best Seller list!
There’s something about @Michele__Norris that just draws people in. As a dear friend of mine, she is someone who I’ve always been able to turn to for an honest and real conversation, no matter what. So when she started The Race Card Project over a decade ago to have an open dialogue surrounding race in this country, I knew it would amount to something powerful.
So much has happened since then. We’ve faced some challenging moments together as a nation, but we’ve all learned a lot about one another, too. Her new book, Our Hidden Conversations, is a testament to that journey. Featuring photos and stories on race from people all over America, it highlights the truths of the American experience — and shares everything, even the messy bits. It’s an incredible read, and I hope you’ll check it out.
Michele, I’m so proud of you. Congratulations on making The New York Times Best Seller list!
Every place I go, I meet girls with endless passion, resilience, and hope for the future. My recent trip to Malawi and South Africa with @MelindaFrenchGates and Amal Clooney was no different. We met with dozens of incredible girls with big dreams for themselves, and spoke with leaders who are working tirelessly to build a brighter future for these girls.
The @BBC100Women produced a documentary that shares their powerful stories and highlights some of our efforts to end child marriage. You can watch it now at the link in my bio—I hope you’ll be just as inspired and moved by their stories as I was.
Chicago is the place that shaped me, helped develop my self-confidence, and allowed me to discover my voice.
Today, the @GirlsOpportunityAlliance is expanding our efforts in my hometown by funding 14 organizations working to support and empower girls across the city. I hope you’ll join us in uplifting them by going to the link in my bio to learn more and contribute however you can. ❤️
I surprised the girls I met at the Ludzi Girls Secondary School in Malawi with copies of Becoming – including a journal for them to jot down their thoughts. These are the photos and videos they sent back. Their responses are just so adorable, and I knew I had to share them with all of you!
I surprised the girls I met at the Ludzi Girls Secondary School in Malawi with copies of Becoming – including a journal for them to jot down their thoughts. These are the photos and videos they sent back. Their responses are just so adorable, and I knew I had to share them with all of you!
Dr. King’s voice rang out with a call for people to work together toward a better tomorrow. This #MLKDay, the @ObamaFoundation organized a day of service on the South Side of Chicago. I’m inspired by the folks who are taking action today in Chicago and across the United States. 💙
Many of us spend a lot of time trying to live up to other people’s expectations instead of our own. And it can impact just about every aspect in our life — from the job we have to the car we own, down to the way we do our hair or style our clothes. We see society’s definition of success and worry that if ours looks different, maybe we’re not enough. But that’s not the way we should be living. Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time talking about all of this and more with my friend @traceeellisross.
So I wanted to give you a glimpse into these conversations in a surprise bonus episode of The Light Podcast! In this episode, we discuss the power of self-expression, our personal style, and the importance of finding self-worth outside of romantic relationships. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
You can listen to this episode of #thelightpodcast now on @audible or wherever you get your podcasts.
This #MLKDay weekend, as we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and our nation’s movement for civil rights, I am thinking about Bayard Rustin, an unsung hero who helped make the March on Washington a reality. From organizing buses to figuring out accommodations for all those attending, Bayard Rustin helped put together the march piece by piece. And yet, very few people know his name.
That’s why Barack and I could not be more proud to have helped produce Rustin on @Netflix with our team at @HigherGroundMedia. I hope you’ll take some time today to check out the story of a visionary the world deserves to know.
Happy Black History Month! Today and every day, we celebrate Black joy and uplift the many contributions made by Black Americans throughout our country’s history. It’s also a time to reflect on how we can use the power of our vote to create the country we want to see. This month, I hope you’ll take the time to make sure you’re registered to vote with @WhenWeAllVote at weall.vote/register and encourage your friends to do the same.
When I was in Malawi last fall, I met 15-year-old Donnah, who told me about how child marriage had impacted girls in her community. Many of Donnah’s friends were forced to drop out of school to get married. Donnah’s parents wanted something different for her—so they sent her to another village to attend classes. That’s where she discovered @AGEAfrica, an organization in the @GirlsOpportunityAlliance that provides after-school programming, scholarships, and mentorship so that girls can complete their education. Today, Donnah dreams of becoming a doctor, and AGE Africa is working hard to support her journey to get there.
I’ve been thinking a lot about students like Donnah, especially since we marked International Day of Education yesterday. Let’s commit ourselves to supporting young girls who want to break barriers and get the education they deserve. Check out the link in my bio to learn how you can support work like this around the world.
At the core of our work at the @ObamaFoundation is our Leaders Program. Since 2017, we’ve been able to connect over 800 leaders around the world with the training and support they need to make a greater impact in their communities. This time around, we’re expanding our work by launching the Leaders USA program! If you’re a young leader between the ages of 24-45, I hope you’ll apply by February 3 at the link in my bio.
My friend @aliciakeys and her talented team met with some of our @mbk_alliance students and @obamafoundation Youth Job Corps interns during her Keys to the Summer Tour stop in Chicago.
The students learned about Alicia’s journey in the music business and got a behind-the-scenes look at how audio engineering and music technology work at big concerts like hers. Check out their reflections:
