My obsession with Michelle Obama started in 2008 when my young 18-year-old brain realized we were about to have a Black family in the White House. Michelle Obama came in so posed – with her strong arms, love of fitness, enthusiasm to end childhood obesity, and her ability to bring emerging fashion designers into the light. She had it all. I’m reluctant to say that I didn’t dive into more of who Michelle was as a person during Barack’s presidency. I saw her as the fierce First Lady she was, but I never saw her as Michelle, girl from the Southside, and I barely knew about her own impressive education and achievements.

It wasn’t until last year, 2019, after 12 years of loving her that I got a clue into who she was as an individual. I read her incredible words in her best selling book, Becoming, and fell in love with her hard-working mentality. I got to know she went to Princeton and that she and Barack met because she was his boss at a law firm. I saw how strong she was and the self love her parents instilled in her. I understood her strong family ties to her brother, great aunt, and parents. Like me, she came from a strong knit family of tireless parents who did everything in their power to teach us how worthy we are. After reading her book, I connected with her life story on a real level and it deepened my love for her. 

As if my obsession with Michelle Obama couldn’t have been stronger, she released her podcast this past Sunday and I…. Lost. My. Mind. The Michelle Obama Podcast was started after the work she did on her memoir. After traveling the world touring the book, she felt like she had so much more to say. That conversations that benefited multiple communities needed more time to be discussed. Michelle hopes the podcast will be a place to open up and talk about big topics. 

The first episode, released July 29, features her husband and my favorite president, Barack Obama. It talks about our place in this world. What we can do with it and how we can carve a path. Focusing on Americans’ relationship with the community in a time of social turmoil. The former first couple talks about separation due to race and separations within a race. Michelle shares how her parents were uniquely stubborn when it came to Black folk moving to the suburbs. Barack shares how he grew up with a single mom and moved around.  

It is so incredibly raw and unscripted. Barack interrupting Michelle multiple times was a highlight for me. Teasing her about her family being the Black, “Leave it to Beavers” with the only thing “missing is the dog.” They were authentically themselves, a couple that has spent everyday together in quarantine and shows it. The banter literally gave me life and I giggled the whole episode long. I can’t wait to see what else she does with this new journey.

Upcoming episodes will feature Dr. Sharon Malone, wife of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, discussing women’s health; her older brother, Craig Robinson, talking about sibling relationships; Mrs. Obama will also speak to Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Obama, about mentorship; and a host of other guests. Available exclusively through Spotify, this podcast is a MUST.