As the Obamas get ready to leave the White House on January 20th, their legacy has become a topic of interest nationally and internationally. Michelle Obama, the United States’ first black First Lady, has spearheaded and organized numerous successful initiatives in the past eight years [...] While the First Lady’s initiatives domestically should not be understated, it is her most recent program that has, and will continue to have, the largest global impact.

When Michelle Obama entered the White House, she had to contend with two onerous legacies. The first was a stale clutter of expectations and prohibitions about the proper role of The First Lady. The second was a cluster of stereotypes deeming black women unfit for any such role. [...] People were busily projecting negative stereotypes onto Michelle Obama from the moment her husband began campaigning. ​

First Lady Michelle Obama has been meeting with key stakeholders -- accompanied by daughters Sasha and Malia -- to promote her Let Girls Learninitiative and address the institutional and cultural barriers preventing 62 million girls worldwide from receiving an education on an overseas trip including Liberia, Morocco, and next, Spain. The most star-studded event on her trip took place Tuesday, when the Obama girls spoke to a group of local adolescents in a panel discussion featuring Meryl Streep and Frieda Pinto in Morocco. 

Michelle Obama plans to promote her year-old global girls' education initiative during upcoming stops in Liberia, Morocco and Spain on what could be her final solo overseas excursion as first lady. The White House announced Wednesday that the three-country trip is booked for June 27-July 1. Her travelling companions are daughters Malia and Sasha, and her mother, Marian Robinson.

The United States and Pakistan discussed cooperation in education, science and technology, which both sides said provides a lasting foundation for ties and serves as an engine for long-term economic growth.

First Lady Michelle Obama recently published a piece inThe Atlantic, making the case for the White House’s Let Girls Learn initiative. She wrote, “Right now, 62 million girls worldwide are not in school. They’re receiving no formal education at all.”