If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardized test, I wouldn't be here. I guarantee you that.

My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my 'blackness' than ever before.

My most important title is Mom in Chief

It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.

I think employers need help in understanding how to translate a military career.

I think the most moving part of my trip [to Africa] so far was seeing 92-year-old Nelson Mandela, and just thinking about his life. This man has lived through a struggle that few nations have known.

That's the advice I would give to women: Don't look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul. Look at how the guy treats his mother and what he says about women. How he acts with children he doesn't know. And, more important, how does he treat you? When you're dating a man, you should always feel good. You should never feel less than. You should never doubt yourself.