Former first lady Michelle Obama will be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame (NWHF), the organization announced on Monday, International Women’s Day. She will join several other inductees who will be honored at a ceremony in October.
Michelle Obama is among the nine women chosen to be inducted and will join the 302 women to have earned their permanent homes at the Hall of Fame. Those women include award-winning novelist Octavia E. Butler, Soccer Icon Mia Hamm, Former Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi, 3-decades military member Rebecca Halsted, educator Emily Howard, former NASA math mathematician Kathrine Johnson, and multidisciplinary artist Joy Harjo.
During her acceptance speech, Obama gave credit to the community around her for her accomplishment in her life. “From a very young age, these women taught me that I matter. That I was never just a little girl or a child. I was always someone special in my own right”.
She also talked about the importance of the women’s hall of fame, and how the ceremony is another stepping stone to equal opportunity. ” If we truly want to make meaningful progress where we want to live in a world where a girl has every chance that a boy does, it’s going to take everybody.” Said, Michelle Obama ” We must remember as we think about this next generation of girls growing up. Their Success is up to all of us.”
Mostly Known as the 44th First Lady of the United States of America, she has also placed a milestone for African American first ladies by being the first and only African American woman to do so. She is also an advocate for women’s rights, youth and their education and health, and black rights for men and women. Finally, she is an author of an award-winning novel and a lawyer.
The NWHF admired the former first lady’s passion to assist her country, saying she made the White House ” welcoming and inclusive”. “During her eight years as the first lady… she transformed the White House into the people’s house”
During Obama’s time as the first lady, she was the foundation of several programs like the let’s move program, with the objective of ending childhood obesity, launched The Higher Ground Productions with the help of her husband and former president Barack Obama, and a veteran program called the Joining Forces Organization. She also lead the Let Girls Learn Program, with the help of current first lady Jill Biden, which supported girls’ education around the world.
Even after her departure from the White House, she still continues to do work for her people. Her memoir, Becoming, was released over four years ago and has sold over 15 million copies, and was written in 24 different languages. The memoir also won a Grammy Award for best spoken Word album in 2020.
The former first lady also premieres in her own podcast, which features hosts like former first ladies, friends, and loved ones as they get into deep conversation about the impact of relationships and how they build us.
“Michelle Obama has emerged to be one of the most influential and iconic women of the 21st century, ” The NWHF also stated about Obama’s impact on women during this era. “She has accomplished her initiatives and so much more – becoming an advocate for healthy families, service members, and their families, higher education, international adolescent girls education, and serving as a role model for women and young girls everywhere.”
Written By Daylontie Jasper
Sources:
ABC7: Michelle Obama headlines the 2022 National Women’s Hall of Fame induction class
Women’s National Hall of Fame Website
CBSNews: Michelle Obama to be inducted into National Women’s Hall of Fame
Feature Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore‘s Flickr Page- Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Allison Edwards’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
