Backgrounder: Michelle Obama: America´s first African-American First Lady

Source: Xinhua | 01-21-2009 10:48

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Following is an introduction to Michelle Obama, the first African-American First Lady of the United States:

Michelle Obama arrives for the inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Birth date: Jan. 17, 1964; Chicago, Illinois

Education: Princeton University, B.A, 1985; Harvard Law School, J.D., 1988

Family: Married Barack Obama (1992); Children: Malia Ann (1998)and Sasha Obama (2001)

Political party: Democratic

Religion: United Church of Christ

Career: Following law school, she worked in Chicago as an associate in the law firm Sidley Austin, where she was once assigned to mentor a summer intern by the name of Barack Obama. She left corporate law a few years later to work in the Chicago city government, first as assistant to the mayor, later as the assistant commissioner of planning and development.

In 1993, she founded the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization training young people for public service careers.

In 1996, she joined the University of Chicago as associate dean of student services and in 1997 created the university's first community service center.

In 2002, she joined the University of Chicago Medical Center as executive director of community affairs and was promoted to vice president for community and external relations in 2005.