Most of the cameras were focused on the President, and I knew that Chief White House Photographer, Pete Souza, would get great images of him. So, I turned my lens toward the First Lady to document her having fun and dancing, too.
Bystanders line the road to get a glimpse of the motorcade as the First Lady travels through Havana, Cuba, March 21, 2016.
This photo and following photo: President Obama and Mrs. Obama, along with daughters Sasha and Malia, attend an exhibition game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team at the Latin American Stadium in Havana, Cuba, March 22, 2016.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Meryl Streep, along with Martha Adams and Beth Osisek, producers of the We Will Rise documentary, share a laugh backstage prior to an interview with Isha Sesay in Marrakech, Morocco, June 28, 2016.
First Lady Michelle Obama, Meryl Streep, and Freida Pinto participate in a CNN interview with Isha Sesay, in support of the Let Girls Learn initiative in Marrakech, Morocco, June 28, 2016.
Mrs. Obama greets students prior to a discussion about girls’ education in Marrakech, Morocco, June 28, 2016.
First Lady Michelle Obama is welcomed upon arrival at Monrovia/ Roberts International Airport in Monrovia, Liberia, June 27, 2016.
Bystanders watch as the First Lady’s motorcade travels to the Peace Corps Training Center in Kakata, Liberia, June 27, 2016.
The First Lady hugs a student following a lesson about girls’ leadership and self-esteem at the Peace Corps Training Center in Kakata, Liberia, June 27, 2016.
First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a discussion with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Freida Pinto, and students at R. S. Caulfield Senior High School in Unification Town, Liberia, June 27, 2016.
We arrived in Liberia in a rainstorm and drove for forty-five minutes on washed-out dirt roads to reach R. S. Caulfield Senior High School. All along the way, Liberians lined the road to show their excitement about Mrs. Obama’s visit to their country.
The school was constructed with cinder blocks and had a dirt floor. There was no electricity, and the classroom was made darker by the passing storm. But the radiance of these young girls filled the room. They shared their stories of struggle and resilience.
While the school appeared rudimentary to us, the girls were proud of it and of the efforts they made to attend school every day. Some students related how they had to walk several hours through dangerous areas; others told us how they studied by candlelight at night after they finished working and doing the cooking and cleaning for their family.
The girls were in awe that Mrs. Obama and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first female elected head of state in Africa, would take the time to visit them. But Mrs. Obama was equally impressed with the girls she met that day.
Conclusion
CHASING LIGHT
Before the end of the Obama Administration, I waited in the East Wing Reception Room with a handful of staff members and their families to have our departure photos taken with the First Lady. As I caught my reflection in the large gold-framed mirror above the couch, I remembered being in that room four years earlier to interview for the job as a White House photographer.
Back then, I’d been completely amazed to be alone in this beautiful room. The room was dimly lit, the paintings were elegant, the furniture was ornate, and the decor was sophisticated. I looked around at all the artists and craftspeople represented in the room and quietly thanked and congratulated them for their mastery. It is the highest honor to make it to the White House. As I took a closer look at the paintings, I caught my reflection in the mirror. If my dad could only see me now, I thought to myself.
I don’t usually take selfies, but it seemed like an appropriate occasion and I shot two pictures of myself in the mirror, trying to be quick in case that sort of thing wasn’t allowed. I wasn’t confident that I would get the job, but I definitely wanted to have some proof that I had been there for when I told the story to friends and family.
A voice snapped me out of my daydream. “Thank you all for coming,” said Sri Gainedi, assistant to the Chief of Staff. “We are going to move into the Diplomatic Reception Room to line up for your departure photos.” I looked at my mother, my husband, and our daughter, Eden, who was only two weeks old. So much had changed since the day of my interview.
Sri asked, “Do you mind going last? Mrs. Obama is definitely going to want to hold your baby.”
“Of course not,” I replied. She hadn’t met Eden yet, and I was eager to introduce her because Mrs. Obama absolutely adores babies.
When it was our turn to enter the room, the First Lady greeted us with open arms. The last time she’d seen me was before the First Family left for Christmas vacation, when I was nine months pregnant and days away from my due date, still waddling around with my cameras. Now she finally got to meet the little girl who had been “hitchhiking” a ride around the world with us.
Mrs. Obama was excited to meet and hold Eden. She asked my mom if she was enjoying her granddaughter. As I watched Mrs. Obama interact with my mother and daughter, it was clear how much both women had impacted my life. Both had been my mentors, role models, and sources of strength. I thought about the resounding effects they would in turn have on my own daughter and I felt grateful.
My mother had taught me resilience and grit. She was a single mom who worked three jobs for most of my childhood. She was driven to get us off of welfare and to provide a better life for us. I watched her encounter so many obstacles. Looking back, it’s so impressive that a woman of such a small stature—just five feet tall and less than a hundred pounds—could have the courage to overcome so much. The need to provide us with safety and security pushed her past the limits of what she thought was possible.
Mrs. Obama also came from humble beginnings and has worked incredibly hard to make the world better for other people. I listened to her share her story to inspire so many people we had met over the years. I’ve always admired her ability to ignite a spark in young people, especially those who struggle to see the light inside themselves. She opened the doors of the White House to so many people who didn’t feel they deserved to be there. And she always reassured them that they were as smart, talented, special, and as deserving as anyone else.
Mrs. Obama taught me that too. She has always been a shining example of the light I was chasing in my own life. Watching her through the lens of my camera, I learned so much about myself and the life I wanted to create. And I was finally living it.
On that day, I was grateful for the opportunity to thank my mother and Mrs. Obama at the same time for the positive imprints they have left on my life. I held back tears as I looked at my beautiful daughter and loving husband. None of this would’ve been possible without the lessons I learned from these two nurturing mothers.
As I walked out of the White House for the last time, I thought about all the times those gates had let me in. I suppose I felt like many of those who were welcomed as guests to the Obama White House. I felt like I didn’t belong there, and yet the gates still opened for me. It felt like a dream, but I knew it was real.
What happened on the other side of those gates, in the Obama White House, changed our country’s history—and my life—forever.
The First Lady attends the Beyoncé concert with friends and family at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, June 10, 2016.
AFTERWORD
I’ve heard President Obama and Mrs. Obama say time and time again, “Once you’ve done well…make sure you reach back to help give others the same opportunity that you’ve had.”
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to create this book, which will allow me to donate a portion of the net proceeds to Turnaround Arts.
Turnaround Arts is a program started by First Lady Michelle Obama that introduces high-quality arts education to strengthen school reform efforts, boost academic achievement, and increase student engagement in schools facing the toughest educational challenges in the country.
For m
ore on Turnaround Arts, visit their website at turnaroundarts.kennedy-center.org.
Please visit my website to learn more about Chasing Light and the other programs I am supporting: www.chasinglightbook.org.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama go for a hike on the Na Pohaku O Hauwahine trail in Kailua, Hawaii, January 4, 2014.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are so many people who work behind the scenes to support the First Family and protect and preserve the White House: the West Wing and East Wing staff, the White House Communications Agency, the White House Medical Unit, the Executive Residence staff, the National Park Service, groundskeepers, and Secret Service. Thank you for so many wonderful memories to cherish. You made the long days feel much shorter by offering support, candid conversations, and plenty of laughs. I am grateful to call you my friends.
The White House Photo Office was filled with people who worked diligently behind closed doors to make sure photos are edited, processed, printed, distributed, and archived. Janet Philips, Al Anderson, Anna Ruch, Shelby Leeman, Tim Harville, Chris Mackler, Jim Preston, Kim Hubbard, Keegan Barber, and Katie Waldo— I am grateful not only for your hard work and dedication but for your constant love and encouragement. I was fortunate to work with and learn from some of the best photographers in the business: Pete Souza, Chuck Kennedy, Lawrence Jackson, and David Lienemann. Pete Souza, thank you for being a mentor and a friend, and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. We will always remember the dedication, talent, and joy of our beloved photo editor, Rick McKay, whom we lost to cancer. The Photo Office became my second family and my home away from home. I am eternally grateful for all of you.
I had no intentions of writing a book until literary agent Rachel Vogel called me and convinced me otherwise. Thank you for helping me see this through. Thank you, Mrs. Obama and Melissa Winter, for your guidance and support, as well as Tina Tchen, Joe Paulsen, Caroline Adler Morales, Tiffany Drake, Mackenzie Rae Smith, and Chynna Clayton. To the amazing Ten Speed team—editor Kaitlin Ketchum and designer Emma Campion, as well as Aaron Wehner, Hannah Rahill, Natalie Mulford, Windy Dorresteyn, Kristin Casemore, Jane Chinn, Mari Gill, Ashley Pierce, Maya Mavjee, David Drake, Carisa Hays, and the rest of the Ten Speed and Crown Family— I appreciate your support, encouragement, and vision. Thanks, Shelby Leeman; your talent, dedication, and attention to detail were invaluable to this project. Elizabeth Krist, I am so grateful for your time, patience, and expertise. Laura Pohl, thanks for your endless offers to help. And Maurice Owens, thanks for your guidance, encouragement, and boundless enthusiasm.
Thank you to all of those who made starting over in DC an easier transition with your kindness and generous support—Molly Roberts, Susan Biddle, Mark Suban and the Nikon family, Doug Mills and Stephen Crowley of the New York Times, and all of the talented members of Women Photojournalists of Washington. To my mentors—Ronald Juliette, Denise Sanchez, Ed Crisostomo, Jahi Chikwendiu and countless others—your guidance, support, and encouragement have helped me carve this path.
I am nothing without my roots. To my family: life has been quite a journey, but we made it together. To my father: thank you for teaching me the importance of integrity. To my wonderful friends: I am so lucky for your steadiness through all life’s ups and downs. To Alan and Eden: there was always something missing until you came into my life. With your love, anything is possible.
Thank you, President Obama and Mrs. Obama, for leading our country with dignity, respect, and integrity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
How do you break through a glass ceiling? Be the girl with the tallest ladder.
Amanda Lucidon has been breaking boundaries throughout her career as a photographer, filmmaker, and multimedia storyteller.
As an award-winning documentarian, Amanda has taken on some of the most pressing social issues, such as the discrimination faced by same-sex couples under the Defense of Marriage Act, and the plight of migrant farmworkers, pregnant prisoners, and homeless youth. She has used her camera to reveal the injustices faced by underserved communities.
Amanda’s work has been honored by Pictures of the Year International, National Press Photographers Association Best of Photojournalism, and White House News Photographers Association, among others. In 2013, her film Legal Stranger was showcased in film festivals across the country and sparked discussion around the issue of same-sex marriage before the Supreme Court decision on DOMA.
During her time at the White House, she was the only female photographer on staff. She is one of a few women in history to serve as an official White House photographer.
Amanda Lucidon and the press pool wait for the arrival of President Xi Jinping of China and Madame Peng Liyuan during the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, September 25, 2015. Photo by Lawrence Jackson.
ADDITIONAL PHOTO CAPTIONS:
Cover: The First Lady waits in the Green Room before being announced during a Counselor of the Year event in the East Room of the White House, January 30, 2015.
This page: Mrs. Obama meets with staff aboard her plane, Bright Star, during the flight to Madison, Wisconsin, September 12, 2013.
This page: Mrs. Obama hugs a child during a Drink Up event on the South Lawn of the White House, July 22, 2014.
This page: Mrs. Obama waits in the Green Room before a White House Historical Association Arts Reception at the White House, June 5, 2013.
This page: Mrs. Obama shares a laugh with Sunny and Bo, the family pets, during a video taping in the Map Room of the White House, April 14, 2014.
This page: The First Lady takes a selfie with Kevin Vincent (center) and Jeremiah Hall (right), the creators of the “Running Man Challenge,” in the Cross Hall of the White House, June 21, 2016.
This page: Mrs. Obama gives the keynote speech at the Oberlin College commencement ceremony in Oberlin, Ohio, May 25, 2015.
This page: Mrs. Obama participates in a discussion with students at R.S. Caulfield Senior High School in Unification Town, Liberia, June 27, 2016.
This page: Mrs. Obama meets Amanda Lucidon, the new White House Photographer, in the Ground Floor Corridor of the White House, June 5, 2013. Photo by Chuck Kennedy.
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