Becoming the First

Becoming was a pretty mundane verb until Michelle Obama elevated it to stardom. In case the literary grapevine has not reached you, the autobiography penned by the former first lady, the 2018 bestseller is titled BECOMING. History tells us, it has been the legacy of former First Ladies of the Unites States to share their experiences in the form of memoirs. From Eleanor Roosevelt to Hillary  Clinton, this tradition has sparked public interest but Michelle’s memoir has garnered the most attention worldwide. And it is something evident in the title of her book - becoming. Since her appointment as the first lady of the United States, she became various things to various audiences. As the first African American woman in the White House built at the cost of black slaves' sweat, she became the realization of Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream". For striving working class families living in rural neighborhoods in America, she became the representation of the girl from South Side of Chicago. Beating all odds, graduating from two Ivy Leagues, she became an inspiration and a role model for young women aspiring for higher education. As a woman who dealt with IVF procedures, she became a beacon of hope for fellow women in the boat, facilitating discussions revolving around fertility issues and motherhood. As the anecdotes mentioned in Barack Obama’s book - The Audacity of Hope imply, she reflects the struggles of a working mother striving to strike a balance between career and family. During 8 years as FLOTUS serving in the East Wing of the White House, she emerged as an advocate for children's health, military families and a champion of women's education. In her own words, a star getter and the box checker, she is the perfectionist we yearn to become. As she bade adieu to the Oval Office, she became the trailblazer of novel initiatives (Let’s Move, Let Girls learn, and Reach Higher Initiative) passing the mantle onto her successors: the new freshman class of the 116 th Congress. Apart from being the most diverse, the recent House of Representatives boasts of an avalanche of firsts: Deb Haaland- the first Native congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib- the first Muslim congresswoman, Ilhan Omar- the first hijab wearing congresswoman, Alexandria Cortez- the youngest congresswoman. America has a lot of expectations from these newcomers who have created history. Amidst a political atmosphere driven by bullying, hate, fear and lies, their journey should embark upon Michelle's motto "when they go low, we go high". One hopes that these torchbearers shall spark new revolutions, catalyse social change and define new Becomings!