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Race, Gender And The Legacy Michelle Obama Will Leave Behind

October 15, 2016 College of Arts and Humanities | History

Race, Gender And The Legacy Michelle Obama Will Leave Behind

Robyn Muncy weighs in on the impact of the nations first African-American first lady.

Matthew Dallek | Yahoo News

"First lady Michelle Obama has enjoyed an average approval rating of 65 percent during Barack Obama’s two terms. She delivered two of the most memorable speeches of this year’s presidential campaign. She is the most admired national political figure in an age of mass distemper and distrust toward politicians of all stripes, and she has done it at a time when Donald Trump has taken over the Republican Party and struck a deeply racist, misogynistic chord among primarily white men (and women) without college degrees.

"University of Maryland historian Robyn Muncy, author of Relentless Reformer: Josephine Roche and Progressivism in Twentieth-Century America, said “Michelle Obama may be the most effective politician among first ladies since Eleanor Roosevelt.” But, how has she pulled it off? In particular, what is the impact of the nation’s first African-American first lady on race and gender politics?"

Image: First lady Michelle Obama speaks during a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Oct. 13, 2016, in Manchester, N.H. (Photo: Jim Cole/AP via Yahoo News)