Quotes from Michelle Obama

In our house we don't take ourselves too seriously, and laughter is the best form of unity, I think, in a marriage.

But we need a medical community that's trained and knowledgeable and working on advancement.

I think the most moving part of my trip [to Africa] so far was seeing 92-year-old Nelson Mandela, and just thinking about his life. This man has lived through a struggle that few nations have known.

The realities are that, you know, as a black man, you know, Barack can get shot going to the gas station, you know.

As a mom, I know it is my responsibility, and no one else's, to raise my kids. But we have to ask ourselves, what does it mean when so many parents are finding their best efforts undermined by an avalanche of advertisements aimed at our kids.

When women and girls rise, their communities and their countries rise with them

Women and girls can do whatever they want. There is no limit to what we as women can accomplish.

My message to women: Do what makes you feel good, because there'll always be someone who thinks you should do it differently. Whether your choices are hits or misses, at least they're your own.

As women, we must stand up for ourselves. We must stand up for each other. We must stand up for justice for all.

No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.

If I can have any impact, I want women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion

Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves.

Good relationships feel good. They feel right. They don't hurt.

As we've seen time and again, women and girls who are out there working, they are truly force multipliers, spreading opportunity through their families and communities - and not just by creating programs and nonprofit organizations, not just by hiring other women, but also by serving as role models themselves.

There are definitely designers that I love, people I love to work with. And who they are as people matters. Are they good people? Do they treat their staff well? Do they treat my staff well? Are they young? Can I give them a boost? But when all of that is equal... is it cute?

When trouble breaks out, our men and women in uniform, they don't just sit around thinking about it or talking about it - they act. They put on that uniform. They leave their loved ones behind. They go out there. They give orders. They follow orders. They do whatever it takes to keep our country safe.

I'm asking myself, 'What do my girls, what do all our children deserve in their president? What kind of a president do we want for them?' Well, to start with, I think we want someone who is a unifying force in this country: someone who sees our differences not as a threat, but as a blessing.

I specifically did not read other First Ladies' books, because I didn't want to be influenced by how they defined the role. I knew that I would have to find this role - very uniquely and specifically to me and who I was.

Those 62 million girls who are not being educated around the world impact my life in Washington, D.C., in the United States of America. Because if we aren't empowering and providing the skills and the resources to half of our population, then we're not realizing our full potential as a society, as mankind.

For me, education has never been simply a policy issue - it's personal. Neither of my parents and hardly anyone in the neighborhood where I grew up went to college. But thanks to a lot of hard work and plenty of financial aid, I had the opportunity to attend some of the finest universities in this country.

Public education is our greatest pathway to opportunity in America. So we need to invest in and strengthen our public universities today, and for generations to come.

There's so much going on in the healthcare system that makes it difficult for women to really have a strong economic hold if insurance is always an issue.

As women, we cannot afford to neglect ourselves.

When they go low, we go high.