Michelle Hits Her Stride

Friends say that Michelle's own self-confidence and comfort in navigating between different cultures has made it easy for her to implement her own agenda now. "She's her own woman with her own ideas, and that wasn't going to change just because she got into the White House,'' said one friend who asked not to be identified discussing private details about the Obamas. "She knows she's the first role model black women have seen at this level and she knows the incredible opportunity she has to uplift them.''

Obama's outreach to her own community has also meant granting interviews to publications that don't normally rate a seat in the White House briefing room. In her cover story with Black Hair, Michelle described her morning routine of getting the girls ready for school. (The magazine also featured styling tips from Michelle's hairdresser.) This month, Michelle and her mother, Marian Robinson, are on the cover of Essence; inside, they speak about raising confident and successful children in the black community. And this is her second Essence cover since January. "Our audience is fascinated by this woman and her family,'' said Angela Burt-Murray, editor of Essence. And she is gracious enough to share that with us. She knows what she means to our community.''

You might think all this focus on African-Americans might be a turnoff to the nonblack part of the nation. But so far Michelle's approval ratings match or even surpass her husband's. Last month, she hit 72 percent in a Gallup poll. "Who could have seen this coming after the New Yorker cover and all the other negative press she received last year,'' says Walsh.

Part of Michelle's appeal may stem from her diverse approach to diversity. She turned the White House fountains green for St. Patrick's Day and, along with the president, hosted the White House's first-ever Passover seder. "She did exactly the same thing when she was an executive in Chicago—put a group of different people together and allowed voices to be heard that hadn't been before," said Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Capital and who has known the Obamas for more than 10 years. "That's who she is—it's a natural thing for her to do.''

Michelle's agenda is playing out in subtler ways, too. The first lady has made a point of wearing a variety of lesser-known, minority designers—a habit that has infuriated some established designers. But model Naomi Campbell thinks the first lady's clothes are meant to send a distinct message to designers who rarely hire black models. "Why would she concern herself with mainstream designers who don't even put their clothes on women who look like her in ads or fashion shows?'' Campbell asks.

There will continue to be endless opportunities for Mrs. Obama to make a difference in the African-American community over the next four years. And endless opportunities for critics to assess her impact. But for many African-American women like me—who still stop in awe when we see her face on magazine covers—just knowing Michelle Obama is comfortable in her own skin is a pretty good start.

© 2009