Next in line?


The role of first ladies in U.S. history has often been secondary to the powerful men they stand beside. The position is a political one by association, granting many first ladies a certain latitude. 

Throughout the tenure of her husband, however, Michelle Obama has presented herself as an active presidential spouse through her philanthropic and social causes, her American-made fashion allegiences, and her earnest yet powerful speeches. She has seized her proximity to power to promote causes like childhood nutrition and exercise, and also to lay bare realities that, as an African American woman, she can directly relate to, including issues around racism, poverty, and making history through perseverence and strength. 

We can only imagine what our next first lady—or gent—will offer the nation.         — Gretchen Halverson, Media and Technology assistant, November 2, 2016

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Photo: The New York Times Style Magazine, “To the First Lady, With Love,” Oct. 17, 2016

Timed to coincide with the U.S. election, “Next in line?” is a series that highlights how power is transferred or demonstrated among a variety of cultures represented in Mia’s collection.