Question

Challenges she faced disabilities she had

Answer 1

Michelle Obama may go down as not only one of the most beloved, but also most accomplished first ladies. The Chicago-born lawyer was clearly going to be successful in her own right from an early age, attending Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She worked in a top Chicago law firm and then the non-profit Public Allies before taking on various positions at the University of Chicago. Perhaps because of the robust academic and professional obstacles she tackled, the most challenging moments Michelle Obama faced as first lady were weathered with her trademark poise and grace.

Unfortunately, those challenges were numerous. From the usual sexism leveled at female public figures to the racism that crept into public dialogue about the first family, Michelle Obama faced all kinds of prejudices and difficulties as she stepped into the role of first lady. And she didn't have to worry only about herself — Obama also began her time in the public eye with two young daughters to protect from the political pundits and critics, like Rush Limbaugh, who famously insulted presidential children (namely Chelsea Clinton) in the past.

If anyone could handle the pressure, though, Michelle could. "When they go low, we go high," she famously said during her Democratic National Convention speech endorsing Hillary Clinton. The tactic may not have worked for Clinton, who won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College, but it did work beautifully for Obama, whose popularity as a public figure exceeds her husband's. Here are the biggest challenges our First Lady had to cope with during her time in the White House.