Femme Power

Posts Tagged ‘Popular People’

Yeah, yeah, she’s the lady behind the man whom the whole world adores.   But aside from being the wife of US Pres. Barack Obama and great mom to Malia and Sasha, how much do we know about the First Lady Michelle?

Here’s a quick look of her from what I gathered from my readings, compiled in a nutshell to save you time researching.

1.   Full Name: Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama

2.   Profession: Lawyer

3.   Birth date: January 17, 1964

4.   Hometown: South Side of Chicago

5.   Schools attended: Whitney M. Young High School, Princeton University, Harvard Law School

6.   Where she met Barack: Sidley Austin Law Firm, one of the oldest and biggest law firms in the world

7.   Married Barack Obama in October 1992

8.   Past Careers:

• Marketing & intellectual property associate at Sidley Austin Law Firm, Chicago Office, where she also acted as advisor to then summer associate Barack Obama in 1989.
• Assistant to the Mayor of Chicago
• Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development, City of Chicago
• Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization
• Associate Dean of Student Services, University of Chicago
• Executive Director for community affairs, then to Vice President for Community and External Affairs, University of Chicago hospitals
• Salaried Board Member, TreeHouse Foods Inc. (a major Walmart supplier); Chicago Council of Global Affairs

9.   Income:   Based on the Obama couple’s 2006 income tax, Michelle was earning about 75% more than her husband when Barack was an Illinois senator.

10.   On the campaign trail of her husband’s bid for presidency:  Michelle wrote her own speeches with eloquence and intelligence and spoke without notes.

11.   Featured as one of the world’s best dressed people in Vanity Fair and People in 2008

12.   Landed in the list of The Harvard 100 as 58th most influencial Harvard alumni

Despite being a busy career woman, Michelle has always emphasized that family is her priority.

In one of US Pres. Barack Obama’s famous speeches last year, he said “And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years … the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady … Michelle Obama.”

If US Pres. Barack Obama were Superman,

We better not be his kryptonite.

CHANGE.

YES, THE WHOLE WORLD CAN.

It was a day of hope, unity and jubilation.   Notwithstanding the freezing temperature, a   massive crowd of two million gathered in Washington’s National Mall to witness and celebrate the inauguration of the first black President in American history.   Barack Hussein Obama has finally taken oath.

“We have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord,” said Obama, 47, in his historic inaugural speech being the 44th president of the world’s most powerful nation.

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many.  They will not be met easily, or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.”   The former Illinois senator inherited enormous challenges from the Bush administration - the worst US economy since the Great Depression and two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, among others.

Obama also enumerated the pressing concerns that his administration will address including the rising cost of health care, unemployment, terrorism, environmental issues and the staggering economy.

But in the midst of high hopes around the globe, news feeds say that share prices in Wall Street and some Asian Markets plunged on Obama’s first day of office.   Analysts say that investors may be wary of Obama’s lack of concrete plans in combatting the present economic downturn.

Expectations are high on the first African-American President of the the crisis-stricken US.   As the US economy sinks deep into recession, Pres. Obama called for a “new era of responsibility”

“Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to mark hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.”

Various leaders from around the world has expressed support over the new US leadership, including French Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy who said he is eager to work with Obama in “changing the world.”

How long will the Obama heat last and to what extent of goodwill will it lead the US and the rest of the world?

The whole world is watching.    The whole world is hopeful.

In the midst of a global financial crisis, one can never be so sure what lies ahead.    While jobs and other income sources around the world may be available to many of us now, it is best to arm ourselves with savings that would keep us afloat when we retire.

But in the spate of rising costs of living anywhere in the world, setting aside money for retirement is getting tougher than ever.

Addressing this concern, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives recently unveiled a comprehensive plan for retirement security that will empower America’s middle class families to have guaranteed savings after long years of toil.

Pelosi, the first woman in American history to become a Democratic Leader in the House of representatives, revealed Amerisave will expand and improve existing retirement accounts, ensure pension fairness and build retirement security for nearly 100 million Americans.   It will expand opportunities to save by establishing tax credits to employers who offer such a savings plan so small businesses will have resources to set up their employees’ retirement accounts.   It also encourages employers to automatically enroll their employees to the plan.

Furthermore, important reforms will be made to protect individuals from unfair dumping of pension plans due to bankruptcy.

The road ahead is quite uphill not only for the Americans but for everyone around us.   We all need guaranteed retirement savings that are secure enough not to go up in smoke by the time we need them.

As important as the will to save today is a plan for a retirement security that’s as smart, well-meaning and safe as possible.

For thousands of years in the history of mankind, women have succeeded in manifesting the vastness of their power and influence amid the generally patriarchal societies in various places around the globe.

From the era of Cleopatra, to the many women who stood out during the time of Christ, to Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth, Mother Theresa, and many others who made history, it’s apparent that women have the capacity to rise above mediocrity and prove to be torrents of influence despite astounding threats to their lives.

Today, lots of modern women continue to prove that they can make a difference, be it striking or modest, in the society I’ve come to wake up to…women who just couldn’t or can’t take things sitting down…women who wear many hats, and being able to deliver changes and inspirations despite the odds.

AUNG SAN SUU KYI - a Nobel Peace Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi is a noted pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League of Democracy in Burma. She gained recognition and respect worldwide due to her peaceful and non-violent struggle against a military dictatorship. She is currently under detention by the Burmese junta, hence even though she gained the right to be Prime Minister after the 1990 General Election, Suu Kyi’s hands are “bound” and could not assume that role. She has been offered freedom if she left the country but she refused. Suu Kyi said in a speech, “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”

MOTHER THERESA - Born into a Roman Catholic Albanian family in Macedonia, she felt the call to help the poor at the age of 12. A few years later, she decided to materialize her calling by working in India and subsequently started The Missionaries of Charity, an institution commited to serve the poorest of the poor. Mother Theresa was the epitome of love and compassion as she transcended all barriers in reaching the most desolate, the sick, and the poor.

OPRAH WINFREY - One of the women I strongly admire for overcoming adversity (She was born to a poor unwed teenage mother in Mississippi. She was raped at the age of 12.) and maneuvered herself to be the richest African-American of the 20th century. She started her career in a radio station when she was in high school and later rose from the ranks to become a media mogul that she is today. She is known to have revolutionized the TV talk show genre through her no-holds-barred confession culture and self-help fads.

These are but a few of my favorite women who have made a big difference in their fields of interest and passion.

Catch more as I compile the rest of my favorite heroines in my next blogs.