"I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity"
About this Quote
The specific intent is twofold. First, it redirects attention from prestige to the conditions that produce it: “from the very beginning” insists that outcomes are baked in early, long before scholarships and slogans. Second, it widens the circle of credit. “Loved and nurtured by people around them” turns achievement into a community project, quietly challenging cultures that romanticize lone heroes and then blame those who don’t transcend their circumstances.
The subtext is feminist without being combative. “Extraordinary women” signals a lineage of mentorship and matriarchal labor that often goes unrecorded; “quiet strength and dignity” elevates forms of power that aren’t loud, performative, or institutionally sanctioned. It’s also an implicit commentary on respectability politics: dignity here isn’t about pleasing authority, but about self-possession in a world eager to misread you.
Context matters. As the first Black First Lady, Obama’s public identity was continually pulled between scrutiny and symbolism. This quote answers both pressures: it humanizes her rise while insisting the real story isn’t her exceptionalism, but the replicable power of care, women’s leadership, and early support.
Quote Details
| Topic | Daughter |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Obama, Michelle. (2026, January 18). I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-am-an-example-of-what-is-possible-when-girls-22444/
Chicago Style
Obama, Michelle. "I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-am-an-example-of-what-is-possible-when-girls-22444/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-am-an-example-of-what-is-possible-when-girls-22444/. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.











