First Lady Michelle Obama's Role Model

First Lady Michelle Obama has had to deal not only with the stereotypes of African American Women in the United States, but she has also had to deal with the legacies of the previous First Ladies. The role of First Lady has evolved tremendously over the past one hundred plus years. It evolved from a largely ceremonial role to that of policy advocating and campaigning. For example, “[d]uring the 2008 presidential campaign [Michelle] was asked about what kind of First Lady would I be, or which model would I follow. Would I be more like Laura Bush, or Hillary Clinton or Nancy Reagan?” (Obama). This question about what kind of First Lady she might be is an important question, and it is often asked of First Ladies. Especially in modern times because the role of First Lady has never defined. The founders of the Constitution never wrote job description for First Ladies. There was never a manual that was created that told these women what they are supposed to be like; instead, the forty-five women that have …show more content…
She was responsible for creating a model that encouraged First Ladies to take an active role in politics. During her time as First Lady, she was responsible for helping the President make policy decisions, and she was not afraid to make her voice heard when she wanted to. She was known to speak out, and engage with members of Congress (Caroli 17). Unlike Washington, First Lady Adams was more into politics and policy, and she enjoyed working with her husband on issues, and they would have conversations with one another. First Lady Adams viewed her platform as important, and she felt the need to make substantial change to politics. Thus, she engaged with the political realm unlike First Lady Washington. There would be First Ladies that would follow her footsteps like Sarah Polk and Dolley Madison, but the full evolution of the role of First Lady did not happen until one hundred years