East Wing - Obama Presidency Oral History

After Obama’s victory in November 2008, Mrs. Obama embarked on the personal, political, and professional transition into life as First Lady of the United States. She supervised her family’s move from Chicago to the White House and began to build out her office in the East Wing. The design of the East Wing reflected Mrs. Obama’s intentional approach to service as First Lady, and in the project archive, narrators reflect on her assembly of an expanded staff of aides, advisors, and experts; her vision for balancing public and personal life in Washington; the position of the East Wing in the Obama administration; and the relationship between the East and West Wings of the Obama White House.

In recent decades, First Ladies have often selected one or multiple policy issues of particular interest, and designed programs or initiatives to impact them. Michelle Obama continued and expanded on this tradition, and over the course of the Obama presidency launched four major initiatives, each of which she related to her own life and experiences. 

Just two months after moving into the White House, Mrs. Obama broke ground on a new kitchen garden on the South Lawn, amplifying a national conversation about childhood health and nutrition. A year later, she expanded on that effort, launching a major initiative called Let’s Move! that aimed to “solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation.” That same day, President Obama created a Task Force on Childhood Obesity, chaired by his domestic policy advisor and comprised of several cabinet secretaries. Under the banner of Let’s Move! the East Wing participated in federal policy negotiations, created partnerships with corporations and non-governmental organizations, and influenced national discourse about health and nutrition through Mrs. Obama’s media appearances. In their oral history interviews, officials and advisors speak widely about these activities, providing details about the updates to national school nutrition standards that were codified in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010; the creation of the nonprofit Partnership for a Healthier America; negotiations with Walmart and other major retailers; and Mrs. Obama’s innovative media strategy, which included appearances with iconic characters like Sesame Street’s Big Bird. 

Alongside these accounts, outside organizers and local leaders share memories of their participation in East Wing programs and events, and discuss the relationship between Let’s Move! and other administration policy efforts, including healthcare reform. 

Mrs. Obama launched the East Wing’s second initiative, Joining Forces, alongside Second Lady Jill Biden in 2011. The effort aimed to increase support for servicemembers, veterans, and military families, and focused on employment, education, and wellness. Through partnerships with the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and other agencies and offices, the East Wing encouraged private sector employers to hire veterans, increased support for military-connected children and students, and raised awareness about the unique health and wellness issues facing veterans and their families.

The East Wing’s third and fourth initiatives focused on education. Reach Higher, launched in 2014, sought to expand access to higher education, especially for students from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds. Reach Higher events across the United States exposed high school students to programs at four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, and professional and vocational institutions; clarified students’ eligibility for financial aid; and supported high school counselors. In 2015, Mrs. Obama built on these efforts, launching the Let Girls Learn initiative to expand access and reduce barriers to education around the world. The President and First Lady both spoke passionately about the importance of girls’ education to development, and under the banner of Let Girls Learn federal development agencies and private-sector partners invested more than $1 billion in girls’ education and empowerment projects and programs. In project interviews, aides and officials reflect on the importance of education to Mrs. Obama, and share stories of the First Lady’s interactions with schoolgirls around the world. 

In her capacity as the White House's official hostess, Mrs. Obama also sought to expand access to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and included communities typically excluded from state functions in official White House events. Those efforts are discussed further on the People's House topic page.

The Obama Presidency Oral History’s coverage of the First Lady and East Wing overlaps and intersects with several other topic areas in the collection, including Agriculture, Public Health, Veterans, Women and Girls, and Chicago.