It was so wonderful to see @MindyKaling honored with the National Medal of Arts by President Biden this week for her trailblazing work across television, film, and books.
In #TheLightWeCarry, I write about Mindy in a chapter that explores the feeling of being an “other” or an “only” that many of us experience. Sometimes it’s because of our race or ethnicity; other times it’s our gender; for me growing up, it was my height. Whatever the reason, those differences that make us stand out and often lead us to shrink ourselves.
When Mindy started on The Office, she was twenty-four-years old and the only woman and person of color writing on the show. Now, Mindy could have decided to let those feelings of doubt take over, but she didn’t. She stepped forward. She endured the discomfort of being an “only,” drilled down on the work, and because of that—she was able to make more space for others coming up behind her, creating room for more storytellers and more stories along the way.
Since then, she’s become a powerhouse in her field, creating, producing, writing, and starring in multiple hit TV shows and movies, nearly all of which feature the stories of women of color. With her work, she’s widened the sphere for belonging and empowering so many women along the way by allowing themselves to be seen. Congrats on the award, Mindy! You deserve it. #WomensHistoryMonth
Happy birthday to my mom’s favorite child—my big brother @CraigMalRob. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together, and we’ve been there for one another for everything in between. I’m just so lucky to have you in my life. Love you, Craig!
Barack and I just got back from Australia—and we loved every minute of this trip! From visiting the famous Sydney Opera House to exploring the beautiful wildlife to catching up with great friends, this was the perfect first visit for me. I am so grateful for the generosity and hospitality the Australian people showed me and Barack everywhere we went. I’ve been wanting to visit for such a long time, and can’t wait to go back!
Barack and I just got back from Australia—and we loved every minute of this trip! From visiting the famous Sydney Opera House to exploring the beautiful wildlife to catching up with great friends, this was the perfect first visit for me. I am so grateful for the generosity and hospitality the Australian people showed me and Barack everywhere we went. I’ve been wanting to visit for such a long time, and can’t wait to go back!
Barack and I just got back from Australia—and we loved every minute of this trip! From visiting the famous Sydney Opera House to exploring the beautiful wildlife to catching up with great friends, this was the perfect first visit for me. I am so grateful for the generosity and hospitality the Australian people showed me and Barack everywhere we went. I’ve been wanting to visit for such a long time, and can’t wait to go back!
Barack and I just got back from Australia—and we loved every minute of this trip! From visiting the famous Sydney Opera House to exploring the beautiful wildlife to catching up with great friends, this was the perfect first visit for me. I am so grateful for the generosity and hospitality the Australian people showed me and Barack everywhere we went. I’ve been wanting to visit for such a long time, and can’t wait to go back!
In knitting, when you create the first stitch of a new project, you cast on. When an item is finished, you bind off. Both of these actions, I’ve found, are incredibly satisfying bookends of something manageable and finite.
Knitting has truly become one of my favorite pastimes, and I’ve enjoyed the feeling of slowing down and creating something from hand. I know so many of you are knitters – I’d love to see something you’ve proudly made and hear why you enjoy knitting so much. Use #TheLightWeCarry so I can see your posts! 🧶
In knitting, when you create the first stitch of a new project, you cast on. When an item is finished, you bind off. Both of these actions, I’ve found, are incredibly satisfying bookends of something manageable and finite.
Knitting has truly become one of my favorite pastimes, and I’ve enjoyed the feeling of slowing down and creating something from hand. I know so many of you are knitters – I’d love to see something you’ve proudly made and hear why you enjoy knitting so much. Use #TheLightWeCarry so I can see your posts! 🧶
Happy World Book Day! I had so much fun surprising some unexpected readers with @JimmyFallon at @McNallyJackson Bookstore in NYC. Take a look! 📚 New York, New York
Happy Community College Month! 🎓
I want to celebrate every student who is continuing their education at a community college this year.
I hope you’re proud of the commitment you’re making to yourself, your family, and your future—because I certainly am. #ReachHigher
From our family to yours, we hope you have a happy and blessed Easter! 🐰
Dr. Maya Angelou was one of my heroes. A woman of many talents, her greatest gift was the ability to see people. Sometimes in ways no one else had. She understood beauty and pain and rage and hope in an intimate way—and taught us to carry that weight with our heads held high. Today, on what would have been her 95th birthday, let’s honor her memory by striving to embody the wisdom, generosity, and love she showed the world every day.
Last year, I set out on an intimate six-city tour where I sat down with some of my dearest friends—and many of you—to talk about my latest book, #TheLightWeCarry. To close out the tour, @Oprah joined me in Los Angeles to talk about everything from relationships to the importance of self-confidence to the power of friendship, and so much more.
I’m thrilled to share that we’ll be releasing our conversation in an upcoming @Netflix special from @HigherGroundMedia, The Light We Carry, on April 25! We can’t wait for you to watch soon. ✨
To close out #WomensHistoryMonth, I wanted to share the story I include in #TheLightWeCarry about one of my favorite comedians, @AliWong.
Ali is an acerbic, truth-spitting talent who first caught my attention in 2016 when she put out a stand-up special called Baby Cobra on Netflix. Throughout the special, she struts the stage at seven and a half months pregnant, wearing a body-hugging dress and red horn-rimmed glasses, appearing fantastically and almost defiantly female while delivering a raunchy, no-holds-barred monologue about everything from race to motherhood. She manages to be fierce and real all at once. To riveting effect, she shows us her whole self.
What Ali reminds us of is how important it is to remember that our differences are treasures and tools. And even though it isn’t always easy, we’ve got to show up every single day as our authentic selves. Thank you for showing us that, Ali. In the comments, leave a shout out to someone who inspires you to be your best and let them know how much they mean to you.
Whatcha doin’, Jimmy?
Tune-in to find out on @FallonTonight at 11:35pm ET!
The Light We Carry with @Oprah streams tomorrow on Netflix! Are you ready? I can’t wait for you to watch soon. 💃🏾
For my latest episode of The Light Podcast from @HigherGroundMedia, @EllenDeGeneres and I talk about confronting our fears and the ways that we have worked to overcome them.
We’ve all got fears—for some of us, it might be being afraid of public speaking or conflict or what people think of us. One thing is for sure, if we don’t take the time to understand our fears, they can really hold us back. And when they do, we have to ask ourselves: Is this really how I want to live?
Ellen and I dive into this topic on this week’s episode of The Light Podcast on @Audible. Take a listen at the link in my bio.
What’s a fear that you’re working on right now and what steps are you taking to overcome it? #TheLightPodcast
Doing something new can be nerve-wracking. Why? Because we don’t know what lies on the other side of that initial experience. And the journey to get there might just be transformative.
How will you meet your soulmate if you don’t go on that date? How will you get ahead if you don’t take that new job, or move to a new city? How will you learn and grow if fear stops you from leaving home to go to college? Or from stepping forward into the room full of new people, or traveling to a new country? The unknown is where possibility glitters. If you don’t take the risk, if you don’t ride out a few jolts, you are taking away your opportunities to transform. #TheLightWeCarry
As we start a new week, I wanted to share this clip from The Light We Carry audiobook. I hope you find the strength to view yourself with love and kindness today—which is not always an easy thing to do. But by doing so, I know you’ll be more ready to share your light and find goodness inside others, too.
How do you view yourself, and do you find the way you view yourself to be different than how you view others? #TheLightWeCarry
Loved seeing this photo featuring the smiling faces of some of the students from our @GirlsOpportunityAlliance and @MBK_Alliance!
These bright young folks attended the @MarchMadnessMBB Final Four in Houston this weekend and gained incredible hands-on experience in live sports broadcasting. It’s all part of the @ObamaFoundation’s commitment to inspire the next generation of leaders and introduce young people to diverse careers fields they may not have considered before. I’m so proud of all of them. 🏀
For a long time, one of my biggest fears was whether or not I would be a good parent for my kids. It’s a thought that runs through every parent’s mind—am I being too lenient or am I coming down too hard on them? And even if you don’t have kids yet, but you’re thinking about it—you’re probably wondering what kind of parent you’d be.
On this week’s episode of #TheLightPodcast, @GayleKing and I get into this and more. We talk about the fears we had entering motherhood, our hopes for our children, and the importance of nurturing the light inside of them over the years.
Take a listen to this episode of The Light Podcast now on @Audible.
And I’m curious to know—what do you think are the most important lessons to teach your children? What were some of your hopes and fears as parents?
I am someone who takes my friendships very seriously. Whether I met you three months ago or three decades ago, if we’ve built a meaningful friendship, I will work hard to foster our relationship and be there for you when you need me. I’ve got your back—because I know you’ve got mine.
Elizabeth Alexander is one of those friends. I’ve known her for thirty years now and she’s always been someone that I can lean on, and we’ve navigated everything from raising kids to major transitions throughout our lives. @alexanderlizzy is someone who will always have a spot at my Kitchen Table!
I hope you’ll take a listen to this episode of #TheLightPodcast today on @Audible. And once you do, tag a friend or your own Kitchen Table in the comments to let them know how much they mean to you!
What better way to spend Earth Day than giving back to your hometown! Today, the Obama Foundation hosted three clean-ups across the South Side of Chicago—at Rainbow Beach, Washington Park, and Jackson Park, the future site of the Obama Presidential Center.
I’m so grateful to everyone who took time out of their weekend to join in and help out—especially the stellar students from @GirlsOpportunityAlliance, @MBK_Alliance, and our @UrbanAlliance Obama Youth Job Corps interns! We’re so lucky to have young people like them leading the way to protect our planet! 🌎
This week’s episode of The Light Podcast from @HigherGroundMedia is special since it was recorded back home in Chicago. So many of my friends and family joined me in the audience, and David @Letterman just led an incredible conversation.
I’ve known David for a while, and what I love about him isn’t just his sharp wit—it’s his sensitivity. He’s unafraid to show his tender side, and over the years, we’ve bonded over the ups and downs of raising our kids. Whenever we see each other, it’s like we haven’t missed a beat—and we just dive right into conversation. I’m grateful to call him a friend.
In this episode of The Light Podcast, we dive into the writing process, vulnerability, mental health, and how focusing on smaller tasks can help us keep bigger challenges in perspective.
Take a listen now on @Audible. #TheLightPodcast
