Former first lady Michelle Obama will speak at the Democratic National Convention on Monday amid a banner year that saw her launch a podcast and turn her memoir into a documentary.
MICHELLE OBAMA JOINS THE ROOTS FOR DIGITAL MUSIC FESTIVAL TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE
Obama will speak between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET on Monday, the first day of the mostly virtual Democratic National Convention. Milwaukee had been preparing to host the convention that was expected to draw 50,000 guests before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Here are five things to know about Michelle Obama:
1. She has an exclusive podcast deal with Spotify
Obama and her husband, former President Barack Obama, have thrown themselves into multimedia projects since leaving the White House.
Obama speaks with Vice President Joe Biden during a Veteran’s Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Nov. 11, 2013. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Obama inked an exclusive podcast deal with Spotify that debuted in late July. She plans to cover topics including relationships, parenting and women’s health.
She addressed the uncertainty of 2020 in her second episode.
“I know that I am dealing with some form of low-grade depression,” Obama said. “Not just because of the quarantine, but because of the racial strife, and just seeing this administration, watching the hypocrisy of it, day in and day out, is dispiriting.”
2. She met her husband working at a law firm in 1989
The former first couple met while working at Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin in 1989. Michelle Obama was assigned to be rookie Barack Obama’s mentor.
Three years later, they were married and now have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
“I was deeply, delightfully in love with a guy whose forceful intellect and ambition could possibly end up swallowing mine. I saw it coming already, like a barreling wave with a mighty undertow. I wasn’t going to get out of its path—I was too committed to Barack by then, too in love—but I did need to quickly anchor myself on two feet,” Obama wrote in her memoir “Becoming,” according to an excerpt posted by Quartz.
3. Her documentary “Becoming” received mixed reviews
Critics aren’t thrilled with Netflix’s recently released documentary about the former first lady, titled “Becoming.”
The existence of the documentary, which dropped on May 6, was revealed in a surprise announcement in late April from the streaming platform in conjunction with the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions. Directed by Nadia Hallgren, it follows the former first lady on her 2018 book tour, in which she traveled across the country speaking at various events.
Former first lady Michelle Obama during “Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama,” in Atlanta. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP, File)
Now that reviews of “Becoming” are in, critics found it to be, by and large, a watered-down, polished and glossy look at the former first lady that took no political stance and had no meaningful message.
4. She didn’t enjoy being a lawyer
Michelle Obama revealed that she did not enjoy the day-to-day work of being a lawyer in her 2018 memoir. The former first lady attended Harvard Law School, but found she gravitated much more toward public service.
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“After a few years, Mrs. Obama decided her true calling was working with people to serve their communities and their neighbors. She served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago’s City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service,” her White House bio reads.
Oct. 31, 2016: The Obamas dance with kids to the beat of “Thriller” during a Halloween celebration at the South Portico of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
5. She grew up on the South Side of Chicago
Obama grew up on the South Side of Chicago with her parents, Fraser and Marian Robinson, and her older brother, Craig. Her father was a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department and worked day in and day out despite a multiple sclerosis diagnosis early in life.
Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.