It wouldn’t be Women’s History Month if we didn’t acknowledge our forever First Lady Michelle Obama. According to CNN, the National Women’s Hall of Fame has tapped the Becoming author as one of its newest inductees.
Obama is one of nine women who were hand selected by a panel who took into consideration nominations given to them by the public. Along with Obama, the incoming Class of 2021 as revealed on the organization’s website includes renowned writer Octavia E. Butler, former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi and the late Katherine Johnson, NASA’s first Black female engineer, who will be posthumously inducted.
The organization called Obama “one of the most influential and iconic women of the 21st century” as a lawyer, bestselling author and advocate and vocal support system in health, job opportunities, education and voting rights.
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Furthermore, the organization recognized her as “a role model for women and young girls everywhere” for her work as an worldwide advocate for girls’ education, voter registration, the foundation of Reach Higher Initiative and Let’s Move!, and helping to create “the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history,” which was later called the “People’s House.” Not to mention, Obama was the 44th First Lady and the only Black woman to have ever stepped into this role.
Following her position, Obama continued to make an impact outside of the White House. In 2018, she released her bestselling memoir Becoming, which has sold over 15 million copies, been printed in 24 languages, and won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. Last July, she launched “The Michelle Obama Podcast” on Spotify and is slated to star own children’s cooking show, Waffles + Mochi, premiering on Netflix this month.
The National Women’s Hall of Fame announced will not be opening until April or May 2021 “when there is a better understanding of safety protocols for in-person events” and virtual livestream registration will become available closer to the event date. The ceremony will take place on October 2nd at their Seneca Falls, New York headquarters.