article Michelle Obama is making a stop in Atlanta Saturday on her sold-out, national book tour. The former First Lady's memoir, "Becoming: Michelle Obama," quickly rose to the top of the New York Times Best Seller list in 2018, making it one of the most popular memoirs on a political figure of all time, according to the Associated Press. Mrs. Obama's event at State Farm Arena is sold out. Television host and "O, The Oprah Magazine" editor-at-large Gayle King will be moderate the Atlanta conversation. The book tour, titled "Becoming: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama," has been moderated by other popular television personalities, including Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O'Brien and Rachael Ray. Former senior advisor to President Barack Obama Valerie Jarrett was also among the speakers. Mrs. Obama and Live Nation will donate a portion of ticket revenue in each market to various organizations, including, but not limited to, charities, schools, book clubs, and community groups in each city the tour visits, according to a news release. Atlanta is the second-to-last stop on Mrs. Obama's tour, which will wrap in Nashville, Tennessee Sunday. Advertisement RELATED: Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ may be best-selling memoir ever<doc-sep>Billed as “an intimate conversation,” the build-up sometimes felt more like a rock concert. Long lines formed outside even before doors opened, scalpers asking if those waiting had extra tickets for sale. There was plenty of merchandise to buy inside. Obama was introduced by a series of video montages, music blasting as a slightly late-arriving crowd — typical Atlanta — found its seats. The soundtrack? From old-school Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder to reigning divas Beyonce and Lady Gaga. just before kickoff here at Michelle Obama stop at State Farm Arena. Feels more like a concert than a book tour pic.twitter.com/1bF7kHqHXE — tyler, the reporter (@ByTylerEstep) May 12, 2019 When TV personality and journalist Gayle King, the event's moderator, finally introduced Obama, the former first lady got a standing ovation. Shonda Smith, 48, and 19-year-old daughter Zaria were among the thousands cheering. “Even though she was first lady, she never lost sight of who she was,” Shonda Smith said. “I think that’s why people connect to her.” Added Zaria: “She represents a lot of things that we want to be or that we already are.” Former first lady Michelle Obama was greeted by a standing ovation when she stepped onto the stage for her sold-out book tour appearance on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. (Photo: RYON HORNE / AJC) Obama’s memoir is wide-ranging. Her conversation with King was no different. They talked about Obama’s admission that she and her husband had gone to marriage counseling. They talked about raising children in the White House. They talked about the rejections and slights that ultimately empowered the future first lady — a high school counselor doubting she could get into Princeton University, an adviser there questioning her chances to get into Harvard law. They talked about the visit Obama had earlier Saturday with a small group of students from Atlanta's Spelman and Morehouse colleges. She had told them to have faith in themselves, and not to give in to impostor's syndrome along the way. “I’ve been at probably every powerful table there is in the world …,” Obama started before being droned out by cheers, applause and a literal mic drop from King. “And I am coming down from the mountaintop to tell every young person that is poor, and working class, and that was told, regardless of the color of your skin, that you don’t belong: Don’t listen to them. They don’t even know how they got in those seats.” Former first lady Michelle Obama snaps her fingers approvingly as she meets with students from Spelman College and Morehouse College on Saturday, May 11, 2019. The students spent this past semester studying her memoir “Becoming” as a foundational text of their political science class “Black Women: Developing Public Leadership Skills.” HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM The arena show stayed largely away from current events, including Georgia topics du jour like abortion and voting rights. But it wasn’t completely politics-free. The former first lady declined to pick a side in the enormous field vying for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, which includes Obama-era Vice President Joe Biden: “Barack and I are not endorsing in the primary because we want to support whoever wins.” Asked about regular pushes for Michelle Obama herself to run for office, the former first lady said that, among other things, it wouldn’t be fair to her children. When King brought up the similar support for her pal Oprah Winfrey, Obama said candidates can’t just run because people like them. Politics has to be their passion. “Oprah, she’s nice, she’s got a great TV show, she should be president,” Obama said. “Y’all, that’s not how it works.” She paused before finishing the thought with her most direct jab of the night at the man occupying her husband’s former office. “We did that” — with Trump, she let the audience infer, along with her meaning — and the comment brought laughs and cheers. Obama will finish her tour with a Sunday night visit to Nashville, Tennessee.<doc-sep>Associated Press Atlanta – A group of students from Spelman and Morehouse colleges who’ve been studying Michelle Obama’s memoir, “Becoming,” had a surprise visitor to discuss the work – the former first lady herself. Obama came to Spelman to talk with the students Saturday about the best-selling book ahead of her sold-out appearance Saturday night at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta. Obama encouraged the 18 students to have faith in themselves, saying she learned through her eight years in the White House and elsewhere that she is as smart and capable as the well-educated and famous leaders she encountered, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Obama used a phrase made famous by Atlanta civil rights icon the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to emphasize her point. “I’ve been to the mountaintop and I’ve seen it. You’re deserving and worthy,” she said. She later added, “The biggest challenge to overcome now is believing in yourself.” The students spent this past semester studying “Becoming” as a foundational text for their political science class “Black Women: Developing Public Leadership Skills.” The students occasionally take courses on each other’s campus. Spelman and Morehouse, located near downtown Atlanta, are two of Georgia’s nine accredited historically black colleges and universities. The former first lady asked jokingly when she arrived if the students fell asleep reading her book. No way, they replied. Spelman junior political science major Jordan Barefield said “Becoming” has increased her motivation to continue her pursuit of a career in public service, saying the examples set by the Obamas were “inspiring.” “Being able to dissect that has been a blessing,” said Barefield. “This is unbelievable.” Morehouse student Lanarion Norwood told Obama her book motivated him. “I have to be the fruits of my labor and grow for my country,” Norwood said. Obama approvingly snapped both her fingers several times after his remarks and said “you’re hired” to laughter. Obama also talked about her own experiences as a student at Princeton University, where she encountered some people who felt she didn’t belong at the Ivy League school. “If you still believe here today as students at Morehouse and Spelman that you are not good enough, it’s not about something that’s happened to you today, it’s probably a part of what you’ve heard and seen consistently throughout your life. And that’s your story that you have to own and have to understand,” she said. “That’s what this book is about. You’ve got to be able to go over the moments in your life that brought you to a moment of joy and happiness or broke you down and be able to understand how has that made you who you are today and what are you going to do to recalibrate.” Zoe Turner, 11, sat in on part of the discussion. She said Obama’s remarks reinforced some lessons from her parents, who brought her. “If somebody tells me you can’t do something, don’t listen to them,” Turner said. “Always believe.”<doc-sep>
The event — moderated by by "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King — will discuss "Becoming," the No. 1-selling memoir Obama released last fall. It's billed as "an intimate conversation," but the NBA arena formerly known as Philips was at capacity. Earlier in the week, third-party ticket sites like Vivid Seats and Stubhub were listing nose-bleed seats at $250 or more. Neither that nor Saturday’s threat of rain appeared to deter fans of the popular former first lady. Plenty of ticketholders were queued up by 5 p.m. for the 8 p.m. event. By the time gates opened at 6:30 p.m., one line had stretched along Centennial Olympic Park Drive almost to the CNN Center entrance. Inside the arena, admirers waited in long lines to buy T-shirts and other official book tour merchandise — and then waited in line to take selfies with a nearby sign with an inspirational Obama quote: “Find your flame and keep it lit.” Sanshon Jackson came to the event with her mother and daughter. She called it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Obama, she said, is an icon. “She’s still my favorite first lady,” Jackson said. Hours before the event was scheduled to begin, admirers of former first lady Michelle Obama were lined up at State Farm Arena on Saturday, May 11, 2019. Atlanta was the next-to-last stop on Obama's book tour for her memoir, "Becoming." (Photo: TYLER ESTEP/AJC) Shonda Smith, 48, and daughter Zaria made the short trip from College Park and were inside the arena early. They said they’re fans of Obama because she’s stayed relatable despite her stature. “Even though she was first lady, she never lost sight of who she was,” Shonda Smith said. “I think that’s why people connect to her.” Said Zaria, 19: “She represents a lot of things that we want to be or that we already are.” Obama released "Becoming" in November and it quickly became the best-selling book of 2018. Covering everything from Obama's childhood in Chicago to her time in the White House, her marriage and current President Donald Trump, it has sold more than 10 million copies and is considered one of the the best-selling memoirs of all time. It’s also already being studied by future generations of political leaders. Prior to the sold-out engagement at State Farm Arena, Obama stopped by the Atlanta University Center to discuss her memoir with a handful of students from Spelman and Morehouse colleges. Before her book tour appearance Saturday night at State Farm Arena, former first lady Michelle Obama met with students from Spelman College and Morehouse College. The students spent this past semester studying her memoir, "Becoming," as part of their coursework. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC The students had studied “Becoming” as part of a class about black women developing public leadership skills. Spelman and Morehouse are two of Georgia’s nine accredited historically black colleges and universities. “I’ve been to the mountaintop and I’ve seen it,” Obama told them, referencing a famous phrase from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. “You’re deserving and worthy.” Obama's Atlanta stop is the second-to-last event on the second leg of her "Becoming" tour. After a Sunday night visit to Nashville — where late night TV host Stephen Colbert is slated to moderate — the former first lady will have made 21 stops in 2019. That follows an initial 12-stop run in late 2018. Please return for updates.