Why Michelle Obama's Mom Was Worried About Her Daughter Marrying Barack

Marian Robinson had some serious reservations.

Did Michelle Obama’s mom have reservations about her marrying Barack Obama because of his mixed race background?  

President Obama is the son of a white mother and black father. He met Michelle after he graduated from Harvard Law School.

Marian Robinson gave an interview on the local PBS station in Chicago when the future president was running for the Senate in 2004.

In the interview, she said, “That didn't concern me as much as had he been completely white and I guess that I worry about races mixing because of the difficulty. Not for so much for prejudice or anything.  It's just very hard.”

The lost footage was unearthed by former Washington Post reporter Peter Slevin for his eagerly awaited book Michelle Obama: A Life.  


 
Barack Obama apparently poured on the charm, because his mother-in-law gave the wedding a big thumbs-up. According to Slevin's book, "Marian, no pushover, was favorably impressed with Barack."

Or course, Marian now lives in The White House, helping out raising her granddaughters Malia and Sasha.