In 2018, Michelle Obama sat down for a candid exclusive interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts. It was the first time she revealed experiencing many of the same issues that other women, particularly Black women, have faced including issues with fertility, miscarriages, insecurities, and even problems within her marriage with the former president. It was also the first time we peeped what she really thought about Donald Trump as president.

"I said what I continue to say: Being the commander-in-chief is a hard job. And you need to have discipline and you need to read and you need to be knowledgeable. You need to know history. You need to be careful with your words. But voters make those decisions. And once the voters have spoken, you know, we live with what we live with."

Starting with the 2018 midterm elections, Michelle Obama co-launched When We All Vote, along with Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. The organization’s goal is to change the way Americans think about voting by getting people engaged and excited about the process while also making it fair for everyone. Her squad has grown since its inception, but the goal remains the same: registering and getting Americans to vote.

On Oct. 18, 2018 earmarked as “International Day of the Girl,” Michelle Obama launched her education initiative the Global Girl Alliance. The program was a way to empower and celebrate girls around the world and sponsored by the Obama Foundation.  

“Young women are tired of it. They are tired of being undervalued, disregarded they are tired of their voices not being invested in and heard. We have to give them the tools and skills through education to be able to lift those voices up.”

Shocking those at home and just about everyone in the room, Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the 61st annual GRAMMY Awards in 2019 with Alicia Keys, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez to a standing ovation and wild applause. 

“From the Motown records I wore out from the South Side to the Who Run the World songs that fueled me through this last decade, music has always helped me tell my story.”

With the publication of her deeply personal memoir, Becoming, in 2019, Michelle Obama reveals more about her background than she ever had before. Inspiring book clubs across the world, the book was an instant hit selling 1.4 million copies in the United States during its first week as well as breaking records internationally. All it does is further prove that despite being out of the White House for two years, the world still admires and adores her

Billed as “an intimate conversation,” Michelle Obama used the momentum of her hugely popular memoir, Becoming, for a national book tour that results in sold out arenas across the country and abroad. Demand for tickets were so high, she decided to extend her dates even further. For many people, it was an opportunity to see the former First Lady and mom-in-chief in person (even if that experience was shared with 20,000 other people.) While it has been said she made an estimated $65 million just to publish the book,, she insisted that 10 percent of tickets from the tour be made free at each location for selected charities, schools and community groups. 

During the opening of the third annual Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago, not only did Michelle Obama rock her natural curls publicly for the first time but she appeared on stage alongside her brother, Craig Robinson. The two shared stories about growing up in their beloved hometown with a mother who was a fierce protector and a father who was their steady rock. Giving a preview to the Obama Presidential Center, her hope is it will one day become a haven for activism and social change.

“Community and family are the glue of it all, and if you really are rooted in a place and the importance of that place, it defines you and it defines everything you do.”

When it was announced in 2018 that the Obamas brokered a deal with Netflix to produce a series of documentaries under their own production company, it’s doubtful that either of them expected that one of those projects would go on to win an Academy Award. The Oscar-winning film “American Factory” looks at the clash between working class Americans brussling  against high-tech opportunities in the Midwest.

The Obamas have seen and felt the pain that countless Americans have had to endure during the coronavirus pandemic. In partnership with PBS Kids, Random House and Penguin Young Readers,  in late April 20202 she started “Monday’s with Michelle Obama.” The four-part livestreamed series features Ms. Obama reading a children’s book aloud. It’s something both children and their parents look forward to each week. 

“As a little kid, I loved to read aloud. And when I became a parent, I found such joy in sharing the magic of storytelling with my own children—and then later, as First Lady, with kids everywhere. At this time when so many families are under so much stress, I’m excited to give kids a chance to practice their reading and hear some wonderful stories (and to give parents and caretakers a much-needed break.)”

It’s gotta be tough for all the graduates who won’t experience crossing the stage in person because of the coronavirus pandemic, but both Michelle and Barack Obama are adding the silver lining to this story. Each will give their own speech (and a joint message) as part of YouTube’s “Dear Class of 2020” original special on Saturday, June 6, on the YouTube Originals channel.