Becoming
Michelle Obama
Genre: Autobiography
Publisher: Viking
The Truth, and nothing but the truth
All I knew about Michelle Obama when I picked up the book was that she was the wife of Barack Obama, the first Black President of the United States. The end. I had no interest or knowledge of her as an individual but knew that everyone seemed to be really hyped over this woman. I was indifferent but in the back of mind thought it could all be overrated, like I’ve found other gassed up books. I’ve also read complaints online that people have rated this book 5* because of who Michelle is, rather than her book being able to stand on her own. I’m not American, or majorly in politics. Yes I’m Black and I’d be lying if I said having Barack Obama in his position didn’t ignite black pride, but Michelle’s book hasn’t got an automatic 5*… Nah you got to earn this All-Purpose Seasoning stamp! I had the book on my bookshelf for well over 2 years before deciding to read it. Fast forward to Rona season, May 2020 and like many I found myself with more time on my hands so I reached for the book. Totally coincidental that Netflix announced Michelle Obama’s documentary was coming out whilst I was reading her book.
The breakdown
Becoming is Michelle Obama’s autobiography. It’s all about the life of Michelle Robinson who was born and raised in South Side Chicago. Raised in an apartment, above her Great Aunt who taught piano lessons, with her parents and older brother. Michelle opens up her life, with even the smallest details from her childhood, her family members teachings and her journey to university and further. The most famous further being from 2009-2017 when she was the First Lady of the United States. Michelle paints her story in her own words and colourful it is. Including her heartbreak- the death of her father who had MS but kept on going right to the very end. And her career as an attorney in the type of buildings she used to be mesmerised by as a kid. The book is split into three sections: Becoming Me, Becoming Us and Becoming More, giving you her reflections on everything up to now.
Is That How You’re Feeling Yeah
Honestly, I tried so hard to stay level headed but the more I read the more I got lost in the sauce. By chapter 2 I was captivated by the autobiography. Michelle’s story isn’t an “I was saved and luck put me on” type of autobiography. I’m a detail lover and this book was definitely extremely detailed and written in a way that kept me super engaged. An example of nothing being overlooked is Michelle writing about every job she ever had. Did she run through her CV? Yeah, and I was here for it because I was able to see an overview of her progress and upward journey. My thing is if you’re going to give me a story you need to give me the full story. I don’t want 50% or even 85%!
I loved how through reading about Michelle’s life she went from being a person behind the glass to someone so relatable and in my case a wise aunty-like figure. The more I read, the closer she got towards me. Yes, she became the “lady in the White House'“ but she was also Michelle who had been about that life when she thumped the girl from her neighbourhood in the face. The girl was constantly being stink to Michelle so she levelled up the game. She was Michelle who let her man, Barack Obama, know if he wasn’t going to get used to speaking to her on the phone during their long-distance relationship she’d find another man “who would listen”, and she was Michelle who alongside her studies created a side hustle looking after the children of the staff in her university.
Michelle hasn’t forgotten that she’s black! Hold up, let me break it down before you say duh! I find that with a lot of celebrities and high profile people as they get higher they become or maintain silence on issues like race. The mindset that if they made it big then things like race disappear and no longer matter, but not with Michelle. She’s made it clear throughout the book her journey as a black woman navigating spaces, the demographic struggles, and most importantly for me she hasn’t used it for pity or to throw shade. And as she has risen she has made efforts to put a sister on. Be it by helping to hire them, celebrating and sharing memories of those that nurtured her, providing mentor sessions, or giving talks in underserved communities.
No competition though, her upbringing was one of my favourite things to read about. How her love of music came from her Grandad Southside who loved jazz and bought her first record. How she had regular piano lessons with her Great-aunt who lived underneath her. I was especially interested in learning about the way that her parents raised her and her brother. She recounted so vividly the tools she learned from early, and the family vibes she breathed.
“Even if we didn’t know the context, we were instructed to remember that context existed. Everyone on this earth, they’d tell us was carrying around an unseen history, and that alone deserved some tolerance.”
It Hit Me When
When it became clear to me of the many sacrifices Michelle made in order for Barack to get to his goal and overall vision. The times throughout the book where it seems like she was very much a single mother keeping everything together. You can tell she loves her husband, but she’s also not naive and put him on a pedal stool. She has reflected on the occasions where she has pulled back. She really invested, supported and championed Barack’s vision.
“Our decision to let Barack’s career proceed as it had - to give him the freedom to shape and pursue his dreams - led me to tamp down my own efforts at work. Almost deliberately, I’d numbed myself somewhat to my ambition, stepping back in moments I’d usually step forward.”
On a lighter note it also hit me when I realised Michelle had vivid nightmares like me. No joke, sometimes I wake up at 3 in the morning sweating, grab my phone or notepad and write out the horror I’ve experienced and then I pass out again. In her nightmare that she has written about the Secret Service have arranged a surprise for her family at the White House. In their garden there are 4 big cats: a lion, tiger, panther and cheetah. The staff assured Michelle that they were sedated and could be pet and as soon as the family went to touch them the animals started chasing the family. Listen, I don’t live that kind of lifestyle and she didn’t make it clear it was a dream at first so my jaw was hanging thinking about how crazy the situation must have been. Then she mic drops at the end that it was a nightmare and I was mad flustered, because I really thought it was real. Michelle had mt there. She’s funny, for sure!
“I saw the panther’s eyes tracking us, the tiger’s ears flattening just a little. Then, without warning, the cheetah shot out from the shade with blinding speed, rocketing right at us. I panicked, grabbing Sasha by the hand, sprinting with her back up the lawn to the house, trusting that Barack and Malia were doing the same.”
Spill the tea!
Barack baited Michelle into arguing with him about marriage at the dinner table before he proposed. He didn’t believe in marriage but for Michelle it was important. It was an ongoing argument they had and he wanted one last argument knowing full well the waiter was on his way with the engagement ring that he was going to propose with!
Who Should Read It
I think the book is universal, everyone needs a copy on their book shelf. I would especially recommend it to anyone who is questioning what they bring to the table because of their early beginnings though. And young black girls, of course, Michelle Obama is a role model to many but especially to young black girls.
Seasoning Level
CO2 | Salt | Pepper | Mixed Herbs | All Purpose Seasoning
Big Quote
“For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously towards a better self. The journey doesn’t end.”
Have you read the book? Do you agree with me or do you think it’s overrated?
