Barack and Michelle Celebrate Their 30th Anniversary

     Barack and Michelle Obama's marriage has not always been easy and perfect, and they have been more open about that than any presidential couple in American history. Michelle, in spite of having more of a touch for politics than her husband, was reluctant to involve their daughters Malia and Sasha in the 2008 campaign. Still, through the best and worst of days, their love and the love they share for their daughters helped them survive a decade of constant public scrutiny and come out better for it. As the White House no longer mattered in 2017, they were even able to make a joke out of any tension they had by competing in book sales each time one released a new work. 

     Michelle and Barack also share a passion for public service. Everyone knows the former president's story: a community organizer, civil rights attorney, law professor, Illinois senator, U.S. senator, and best-selling author who entered the national spotlight for his 2004 DNC keynote address. Michelle's story deserves more recognition. A graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she overcame the death of her father and her best friend in the span of a few months to become a lawyer at Sidley Austin as well as an advocate for minority communities; she later mentored Barack when he joined the same firm. Even as her husband moved up the political ladder, she never abandoned her own career, working in various positions in Chicago city government as well as at a non-profit called Public Allies that taught young people to advocate for social justice. She worked her way up to hold senior positions at the University of Chicago and University of Chicago Hospitals. When she suffered a miscarriage, she used in vitro fertilization to give birth to her daughters Malia and Sasha, becoming the central figure in their lives as Barack traveled in his capacity as a senator. The rest is history.

     Barack Obama is the most admired American man of the past century and Michelle Obama has held the title of most admired American woman even after her husband left office. October 3rd, 1992 was a day that not only began a marriage, but strengthened a lifelong partnership. Happy 30th anniversary, Barack and Michelle Obama!!!