Michelle Obama and the Flotus Effect: Platform, Presence, and Agency - Paperback

by Geraud Blanks (Contribution by), Sherella Cupid (Contribution by), Erin F. Doss (Contribution by)

"The FLOTUS Effect" emphasizes the import of agency on the part of Michelle Obama in relation to her politics as evidenced in her positionality and presence as the first African American woman to serve as First Lady of the United States of America. Her occupation of a previously white space and place tended to frame her as an enigma in the American mind and media. Contributors reflect on Mrs. Obama's eight years in her ceremonial position, and the ways she chose to uniquely embody her role. Hence, the result is a volume that speculates upon her evolving legacy, and the likely "effects" of what it meant to be the first African-American woman to serve in the ceremonial, yet powerful, role of FLOTUS.

Author Biography

Heather E. Harris is professor of communication at Stevenson University.

Kimberly R. Moffitt is associate professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.