Michelle Obama and eight others to be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame

Former first lady Michelle Obama has earned a spot in the National Women’s Hall of Fame and will be inducted alongside eight others.

The organization announced the induction of the Class of 2021 on Monday. Others to be inducted include soccer icon Mia Hamm, NASA’s first African American female engineer Katherine Johnson, PepsiCo’s first female CEO, Indra Nooyi; Rebecca “Becky” Halstead, the first female to command in combat at the strategic level; Joy Harjo, the first Native American to be appointed a U.S. poet laureate, and Judy Chicago, an intellectual.

The 2021 edition of the biennial event will take place on October 2 in-person, with strict Covid-19 safety measures, at the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. A free live stream of the event will also be available.

The National Women’s Hall of Fame is an organization that awards women who have played an important role in defining American history. The nominations are done by the public, and are forwarded to a panel which will pick the inductees.

As the first African American woman to serve in the role of the first lady, Obama “has emerged as one of the most influential and iconic women of the 21st century,” the organization wrote on its website. Adding that the former first lady has positioned herself as a “strong advocate for women and girls” in the United States and around the world.

Obama has tirelessly worked with other advocates and advocacy groups to help promote advocacy on matters that are paid lesser attention to in society. She has created advocacy programs such as the Let’s Move campaign, a program focused on ending childhood obesity; the Reach Higher Initiative, which seeks to enlighten students on job opportunities; and Joining Forces, an initiative she led with first lady Jill Biden aimed at supporting service members, veterans and military families.

“During her eight years as First Lady, Michelle Obama she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, transforming the White House into the ‘People’s House,’” the NWHF said in a statement. “Since leaving the White House, she has continued to have a profound public impact.”

In 2018, Obama released a best-selling personal memoir entitled, “Becoming.” She won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album. The former first lady seems to be doing pretty well for herself beyond the White House.

“Both in and out of the White House, Michelle Obama has accomplished her initiatives and so much more-becoming an advocate for healthy families, service members and their families, higher education, international, and serving as a role model for women and young girls everywhere,” the NWHF said.