Michelle Obama's Brother Had Doubts About Her Relationship With Barack
CLOSE Source: SXSW Conference & Festivals / Getty
Before Michelle and Barack Obama became America's favorite power couple, Michelle's older brother, Craig Robinson, had his doubts. Read more about what he shared on the latest episode of their podcast.
On the latest episode of IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson , Craig opened up about meeting Barack for the first time. He shared his very first impression of the man who would eventually become President of the United States.
'Mich starts to date Barack, and we don't know who this guy is. We're just like, 'Barack? Who's got a name like Barack?'' he joked. 'And I'm thinking to myself, it's gonna last like about a month like most of your relationships did.'
Michelle, 61, didn't let that slide. 'That's not true,' she fired back. 'I had many a long-term boyfriend.' But her big brother wasn't buying it, and even recalled their mother's reaction to Barack's height, saying, 'At least he's tall.'
Despite his early skepticism, Craig admitted he put Barack through a test on the basketball court. Their father once told him you could tell a lot about a man by how he played pickup basketball.
'Aside from the fact that he's left-handed so he couldn't go right at all,' Craig said, 'most importantly, he was a team player. He fit in with the people. So I was able to report back to you, everything was fine. And the rest was history.'
Michelle and Barack tied the knot in 1992 and have been married for 32 years, raising daughters Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23. Though he's long retired from pickup games (after needing 30 stitches from a White House game), Barack still keeps the romance alive. This past Valentine's Day, he posted, 'Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away.'
Michelle recently addressed public speculation about her marriage, explaining that her independent choices have been misunderstood. 'People couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself,' she told Sophia Bush on the Work in Progress podcast. 'That they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing. But that's what society does to us.'
From doubtful beginnings to decades of love, Barack and Michelle's love story is still unfolding—despite the haters, skeptics, or even family teasing.
Check out IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson here .
SEE ALSO
Michelle Obama's Brother Had Doubts About Her Relationship With Barack was originally published on globalgrind.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Black America Web
19 minutes ago
- Black America Web
Trump Threatens CNN Over Segment Sharing ICE Block App, Suggests Prosecution For Creator
Source: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Getty Donald Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are threatening legal action against CNN over its recent report on a mobile app that alerts users to the presence of ICE agents. On Tuesday, during a press appearance while touring a newly constructed detention center in the Florida Everglades, horrifically nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz', Trump and Noem suggested that both the network and the app's developer could face prosecution. 'We're working with the Department of Justice to see if we can prosecute them for that,' Noem told reporters. 'Because what they're doing is actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement operations.' ICEBlock, which was developed by California-based coder Joshua Aaron, functions as a crowd-sourced early warning system for immigrants; notifying users when ICE activity is reported nearby. The innovative app currently has more than 20,000 users, many of whom are in Los Angeles, where controversial, large-scale deportation efforts have taken place. 'When I saw what was happening in this country, I wanted to do something to fight back,' Aaron told CNN, adding that the deportation efforts feel, to him, reminiscent of Nazi Germany. 'We're literally watching history repeat itself.' Within the app, users can add a pin on a map showing where they spotted agents — along with optional notes, like what officers were wearing or what kind of car they were driving. Other users within a five-mile radius will then receive a push alert notifying them of the sighting. Trump reportedly co-signed the statement, then pivoted to air his frustration over recent CNN reporting, where he called both CNN and The New York Times 'fake news' for their stories about the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. 'And they may very well be prosecuted also for having given false reports on the attack in Iran,' Trump said. 'They were given totally false reports. It was totally obliterated. And our people have to be celebrated, not come home and say, 'What do you mean we didn't hit the target?' We hit the target quickly. You know, the pilots came home, they said we hit the target quickly. So they may very well be prosecuted for that. What they did there, we think, is totally illegal.' The White House doubled down on the accusation, claiming that CNN's report amounts to the promotion of an app that 'encourages violence' against law enforcement. However, the administration has yet to cite any specific statute that the network may have violated. Source: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Getty 'We're going to actually go after them and prosecute with the partnership of [Attorney General] Pam [Bondi] if we can,' Noem said. 'Because what they are doing, we believe, is illegal.' Legal experts note that regardless of the threat, any attempt to prosecute a media organization for reporting on a publicly available application would face significant First Amendment challenges. The press is protected under the Constitution for reporting on matters of public interest, even when the subject matter is politically sensitive or controversial and law professor David Levine from UC School of Law San Francisco said it is unlikely prosecutors would prevail against the developer, users, or the media for reporting on ICEBlock, as it boils down to a First Amendment issue. 'These cases should be easily defeated in court if and when they're brought,' Levine said. 'You know, this might just be the threat of the day, the bluff of the day.' CNN quickly responded to the administration's statements in a brief but pointed comment, saying, 'This is an app that is publicly available to any iPhone user who wants to download it,' the network said. 'There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other app, nor does any reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN.' Trump's long history of targeting media outlets through litigation is well-documented, though his legal threats have rarely resulted in successful court action; the possibility of federal prosecutors pursuing charges against a news organization for reporting on a legal app has alarmed First Amendment advocates and raised concerns over the administration's continued hostility toward the press. With the president now floating the possibility of prosecuting not only the media outlet but also ICEBlock's creator, the line between law enforcement and political retaliation continues to become increasingly blurred. SEE ALSO: Donald Trump, Executive Overreach, And Project 2025's Blueprint Thanks To Donald Trump, The American Dream Is Dead SEE ALSO Trump Threatens CNN Over Segment Sharing ICE Block App, Suggests Prosecution For Creator was originally published on
Black America Web
20 minutes ago
- Black America Web
LL Cool J Cancels Philly Show In Support of Striking City Workers
Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Rapper LL Cool J is taking a stand and showing support to striking city workers in Philadelphia. The Queens rapper took to his personal Instagram account Thursday night and announced he would not be appearing at the city's 4th of July celebration concert Friday. 'I never ever want to disappoint my fans, and especially in Philadelphia. Ya'll mean too much to me, but there's absolutely no way that I could perform, cross a picking line and pick up money when I know that people are out there fighting for a living wage,' he said in the video. AFSCME District Council 33, which consists of 9,000 city employees and is Philadelphia's largest city workers' union, walked off the job for the first time in 39 years Tuesday. The union is seeking an 8 percent pay increase every year over a four-year timeframe and healthcare benefits for all employees. The union praised the rapper for standing in solidarity with workers via a post on Instagram. Mayor Cherelle Parker posted a video on social media saying the city offered the union a 12 percent pay increase over the course of her term and that healthcare benefits would not be taken from the workers. Parker took office in 2024 and is up for reelection in 2028, so that works out to about a 4 percent raise per year, half of what the union is asking for. 'District Council 33's members contribute as much blood, sweat, and tears as does anyone else,' the union's demand letter reads. 'We all make the city work. Our contract must reflect that reality.' District Council 33 represents a wide range of city workers from trash collectors, sanitation workers, and 911 dispatchers, to crossing guards at public schools. As a result of the Philadelphia strike, the city's trash collection will be operating on a 'modified capacity,' according to Parker. 'There will be no residential trash collection or recycling effective Tuesday, July 1. We encourage residents, and we ask you to please refrain from placing any trash or recycling out for curbside collection until further notice,' Parker said in her video. City leadership is in the process of establishing 63 temporary trash drop-off locations throughout Philadelphia. The locations will open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday and will be open from 6 a.m. through 10 p.m., though they will be closed for the Fourth of July holiday. The city has also asked people not to bring any loose trash to the drop-off sites and to only bring up to 8 bags of trash at a time. A list of available drop-off sites is available on the sanitation department's website. Beyond sanitation, the Philadelphia strike could result in delays in 911 calls. To address the shortage, the city will move 200 officers into the 911 call centers, though they've warned the strike may result in delays of 911 calls being answered. The city has urged callers not to hang up as the calls will eventually be answered. You know, I don't know the inner workings of Philadelphia's budgeting, but for the safety of everyone, I hope they can give the city workers their money sooner rather than later. While they've reached an impasse, Parker affirmed the city's commitment to negotiating a contract that would hopefully bring the Philadelphia strike to a swift end. 'The City of Philadelphia remains committed to reaching a fair and fiscally responsible contract with our municipal workers who are a part of DC 33,' Parker said in a statement addressing the strike. 'We are ready, willing, and able to resume negotiations with the union at their convenience.' Interestingly enough, the Philadelphia strike is not the only one happening right as trash collectors in Massachusetts are striking for a similar reason. The Teamsters Local 25 have said Republic Services, the company they're employed through, has 'refused to give workers a fair deal, pushing them to the picket line.' Republic is currently involved in several labor disputes with Teamsters unions across the country, which could result in trash collection being impacted nationwide. If anything, both the Massachusetts and Philadelphia strikes show why city workers are so important and deserve a living wage. They literally keep the city running and do the unglamorous work that often doesn't get celebrated. At the end of the day, someone has to pick up the trash. Just because it's not considered a 'dream job' doesn't mean it's one without value. SEE ALSO: Black-Led Unions That Advanced Workers' Rights How Labor Unions Factor In The 2024 Election SEE ALSO LL Cool J Cancels Philly Show In Support of Striking City Workers was originally published on
Black America Web
20 minutes ago
- Black America Web
Stevie Wonder's MLK Holiday Journey To Be A Documentary
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty The story behind how the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became a federal holiday with the help of legendary musician Stevie Wonder will now be the subject of a documentary. The multiple Grammy Award winner is partnering with TIME Studios to produce the unnamed documentary film, which will explore Wonder's personal tie to the movement to get a national holiday to recognize Dr. King's birthday, which became official when then President Ronald Reagan signed the bill making it a law in 1983. Stevie Wonder will appear on-screen in the film to share his experiences during that time, which will also include archival footage that has never been seen by the public. One key element of the documentary will be the making of 'Happy Birthday,' a song crafted as an ode to Dr. King on the 1980 Hotter Than July album. The song is now a fixture at birthday celebrations across the globe, no matter the scale. Oscar nominee Traci A. Curry, who has directed the powerful documentary ATTICA as well as the NatGeo mini series Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time , has been tabbed to direct the film. Stevie Wonder's Eyes 'n' Sound production company will serve as executive producers along with Time Studios. In a statement, the musical icon said: 'I'm excited to tell the story of the making of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. More importantly, I want us to learn and remember this story with today's eye and understanding. If we truly understood how this bill came to be, then we will really appreciate the power of the people.' Lynne Benioff, co-owner and co-chair of TIME Studios expressed their gratitude in working on the project as well in a statement, adding: 'We are honored to help bring this important chapter of history to light and to work with Stevie Wonder in telling the story of how his artistry and activism helped shape a national movement. We believe this film will spark meaningful conversations about the profound impact one person's voice and vision can have on our culture and world.' SEE ALSO Stevie Wonder's MLK Holiday Journey To Be A Documentary was originally published on
