Boston

Former First Lady Michelle Obama Visits Boston as She Promotes Her New Book

Michelle Obama spent about two hours at the Boys and Girls Club in the city's Dorchester neighborhood ahead of her appearance at TD Garden

Former First Lady Michelle Obama was in Boston Saturday to promote her new book.

Her autobiography, "Becoming," sold more than 1.4 million copies in its first week, and thousands packed TD Garden Saturday night to listen to Obama's message.

"I say this mostly to young women, you’re not supposed to know what you’re gonna be," Obama said on stage.

That message drew 20,000 men and women of all ages to the Boston arena. 

“If you hit 25 and you were just that, and that was it, for the next 50 years, what kind of life would that be? So we are ever evolving," the former first lady said.

Prior to Obama's TD Garden appearance, which wrapped up at 10:30 p.m., she dropped in at the Boys and Girls Club in the city's Dorchester neighborhood.

Obama spoke with young women who are a part of Black Girls Rock, a women's empowerment and mentorship organization founded by former model Beverly Bond.

For nearly two hours, she shared advice for college students and spoke about race, politics and other issues.

Obama also shared what she wished she had done differently at Princeton.

“I would caution you against doing what I did which was sticking to what I knew. I wasn’t confident enough to break out of the black student community to try new things because I came from such a small world. Just to get into Princeton was an adventure for me,” Obama said. “If I was to do it over again, I would try more stuff, take more courses, take more risks, and travel abroad—taken a semester off. I would have explored all college had to offer because you are not supposed to be fully formed in college or law school. Fully formed happens over the course of a lifetime. So take advantage of the fact.”

She was also very frank with the young women, who wanted real advice.

“I thought I was supposed to get to college, pick a major, decide I want to go to law school and become a lawyer and that was that," Obama said. "I didn’t realize that life would take so many zig and zags and turns and that’s the journey."

In a tweet Saturday evening, Obama thanked the group for hosting her and said she weas excited they would be joining her at TD Garden.

"To the young women I met today, you all blew me away with your stories, poise and ambition," the tweet read in part.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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