michelle lavaughn robinson obama (born january 17, 1964) is a former author and attorney who was the first lady of the united states from 2009 to 2017 as the wife of the president barack obama. she was the first african american woman to serve as this role. like many other first ladies, michelle has worked as a spokesperson for a cause. the cause she supports is better nutrition and exercise for children. she has done work with the disney channel and nickelodeon to support this cause.