Marian Robinson

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Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama's Mother, Dies at 86

Matriarch was a 'reassuring presence' at White House during Barack Obama's tenure

(Newser) - On election night 2008, as Barack Obama sat nervously in a Chicago hotel suite and awaited news on whether he would become the country's first Black president, his mother-in-law was by his side. "Are you ready for this, Grandma?" Obama asked Marian Shields Robinson, who years earlier had...

Michelle Obama, Girls Visit Nelson Mandela

Daughters, mother join her on South African trip

(Newser) - Arriving in South Africa today, Michelle Obama met Nelson Mandela for the first time and said her husband was unhappy he couldn’t join them. “Michelle Obama certainly convinced the dignitaries she is excited to be here, and said her husband is 'pouty' that he isn't,”...

For Census Purposes, Obama's African-American

In response to question about race, president checks one box

(Newser) - When he filled out his census form yesterday, President Obama identified himself as African-American. The son of a black Kenyan and a white Kansan, Obama had the option to check more than one box. He didn't hesitate before choosing "Black, African Am., or Negro," White House press secretary...

President Surprises First Lady With Birthday Dinner

For Michelle's 46th, Barack lines up friends, family

(Newser) - Even after a year in the White House fishbowl, President Obama can still pull off a surprise—as he did last night, when he threw a private dinner for Michelle Obama's 46th birthday. The first lady, whose birthday is actually today, knew they were dining out, but not where or...

First Grandma on Her First Mag Cover

Talks parenting, Washington life with Essence

(Newser) - Marian Robinson posed with her daughter Michelle Obama for Essence this month in the first grandma’s first magazine cover shoot. In an interview with the pair, who are all smiles in the White House shots, Robinson says she’s loving life in DC. “You want to know why?...

The Real Michelle Obama
 The Real Michelle Obama 

The Real Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama Says It's All In The Family

(Newser) - Michelle Obama's journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House has been avidly documented, but Carol Felsenthal of Chicago magazine highlights the consistency of her role, driven by a burning desire to do good, but also to achieve security for her family. She resisted her husband's political...

'First Grandma' Moving Into White House

(Newser) - Michelle Obama’s mother is moving into the White House, at least temporarily, the New York Times reports. Marian Robinson, 71, is already in Washington helping out the family, much as she did with the Obamas’ daughters during the campaign. “She will determine in the coming months whether or...

First Granny Mulls White House Move

Resident mom-in-law good for the nation, if not the Obamas

(Newser) - With the Cabinet-pick mania waning, Beltway buffs are left speculating on whether first granny Marian Robinson will join the Obamas in their new residence. One poll places the move-in likelihood at 70%, and there's a petition going that supports "her presence in the Obama White House." Even...

Obama Girls Join Exclusive White House Sorority
Obama Girls Join Exclusive White House Sorority
GLOSSIES

Obama Girls Join Exclusive White House Sorority

If predecessors are any sign, Malia and Sasha are in for 'a helluva good time'

(Newser) - If Malia Obama sneaks a boy into the White House, it won’t be an action without precedent. The generations of girls who occupied what Margaret Truman billed “the Great White Jail” form a sort of underground society, Lauren Collins writes in the New Yorker. The Johnson sisters, for...

First Mom-In-Law Moving to DC
 First Mom-In-Law Moving to DC 

First Mom-In-Law Moving to DC

Michelle's mom to help provide stability for her uprooted grandkids

(Newser) - Michelle Obama's mother has agreed to make the move from Chicago to the capital to help America's next first family look after the kids, the Washington Post reports. No word yet on whether Marian Robinson will live in the White House, but it will be the first time in living...

First Family Readies for Leap to DC

Obama daughters will be youngest in White House for decades

(Newser) - Barack Obama will arrive at the White House in January with the three women he has missed most during two years on the campaign trail: his wife and daughters. But while the president-elect prepares his transition, his family must navigate its own move from the cadre of family and...

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