-Welcome back, everybody. We are here with the one
and only Michelle Obama. Now... [ Cheers and applause ] We're always so happy
you come on the show. Thank you very much.
I noticed that you went back -- you went back
to the White House recently. You haven't been back.
-No. Wasn't invited. [ Laughter ] Ooh, shade. [ Laughter ] -Wow. Wow. I'm adding a chapter right here.
Hold on. -Oh, yeah.
-And so you return. What did it feel like
to go back and you go, "Oh, yeah, I lived
a lot of time in this place"? -We were -- We were good
when it was time to go. No, it was really
a beautiful experience because, you know,
that's a tradition. You do your official portraits. The next president is supposed
to invite you back to hang them. We were never invited back. So these pictures had been done
for a long, long time. But it's also a chance
for the staff to come back and reminisce
and to be together. It's a -- It's a ritual.
So it was good to see everybody. It was good to see
all of the staff. I mean, as quiet as it's kept, my girls lived
in the White House longer they lived any house.
-Yeah. -So that's where they grew up. So to go back and to see all
the staff that are still there, to see all the people
that they grew up with, it was really -- Well, the girls weren't there
at the time, but it was good for
Barack and I to see everyone. -Do you ever have dreams
that you still live there? -Oh! No. Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that
like that. It's like -- No, no, I don't --
I don't have dreams. -You don't ever go like,
"Oh, yeah, I'll go down the steps here and do that."
-No. No. Funny story. At Biden's inauguration, all the formers gathered, and they were doing
a public service announcement. And then we had to leave. And this is the first time
Barack attended -- I think he was there
when somebody else's presidential motorcade was out. So he walks out,
and usually the first car up is the President, right? And he goes walking to the first
car, and his security is like, "Sir, um, that's not --
that's not your car." -Oops.
-He's like, "Oh." He's like, "Okay.
Well, where do I go?" So we had to pass
the presidential motorcade, then the VP, and then we went
way back, and then it was ours. Because you go
in descending order. -You're like,
"But I was just..." -But the thing was,
we were so glad to get in that back motorcade
and to go home... -Yeah.
-...to our house. -To your actual house. -You know, that's
the progress of democracy. You do your time,
you pass it on, you let the next president lead. And so it was --
it's kind of a relief. -In this book, there's so many great stories
about your life, but there's also tips
on how to deal with what we're dealing with,
with everything, with what we all --
isolation with COVID. And just everything is kind of
touched in this book. And one thing I loved
is "the power of small." -Yeah, yeah, that's one of
the early chapters because -- I wrote this chapter
particularly for young people who are feeling so anxious
about the state of the world. I mean, no wonder. Climate change,
riots on Capitol Hill, gun violence, on and on. And these young kids,
young kids as young as 15, are trying to figure out
how to solve these problems, and they're getting all twisted because they don't yet
have the power because they're trying to
bite off too much, too soon. And so "the power of small"
is to focus on what you can
uniquely control. And for a kid in high school, it's graduating
from high school. You know, get your education
because you can't do that -- You can't end violence
in your neighborhood unless you focus
on what's at hand. So starting small,
even for us as adults, is about focus
on your own knitting because there's power in that. You know, if each of us
just raise the children we bring into the world -- you know, if we did nothing else
but do that -- oh, just imagine
where we would be as a nation, as a human race,
if we just took care of that, if we showed them
the love and the focus and if we put our time
and energy into that instead of trying to solve
all the big problems. So change happens
in small bites. It's not just the big stuff. -Yeah, because it starts small, then it goes to a family,
then it goes to a community. And it was great.
There's also a chapter dedicated to
"when they go low, we go high." -Well, people
still keep asking me, "You still mean that?"
-Yeah. But that was --
that was an epic line. That was just --
It stuck in everyone's head. Did you realize how powerful
that would be years after? -No, no. I didn't know
I'd be known for that line. But I'm proud of that. People ask me,
do I still -- do I ever go low? And, yeah, I go low. -You do.
-I go low a lot of times. But I think for people
who have a platform, who are being looked up to, we have a responsibility
to stay high because kids are watching us. If you need to go low,
go low at home. Do it with your kitchen table,
with your spouse. But we set the example,
because leaders set the tone. And we felt what it felt like
to be led with low, and it didn't feel great. That's why it's important.
It's a practice. It's a habit. It's something we show
the next generation, that we don't --
That doesn't mean we settle. That doesn't mean
we're complacent. It means we think
before we speak, because words matter,
and I still believe that. And I try the best that I can
when I'm in the public eye, when I know that kids
are watching, to stay high
because high begets high. -That's right. [ Cheers and applause ] Now, uh... you went on a book tour
around the country, and you had
amazing conversations with amazing people. Our pal Gayle King, who we love.
Tyler Perry. -Lots of great people.
-Hoda Kotb. -David Letterman.
-David Letterman. -Oh, so many.
Sure. Conan O'Brien. Sure. -Alright. Alright.
You were busy. -Yeah, yeah. It's interesting. But, you know,
there's always time for another book, you know?
Um... But the list is --
Amazing people. And you turned it
into a podcast. -Yeah.
-And this is great. It's a great thing.
You have to listen to it. It's such great conversation.
-"The Light Podcast." So, for those
who missed the book tour, we've recorded
every conversation, edited down
to the best of the best. And, you know,
it touches on the book, but we also each share
our own stories of finding light and developing friendships
and relationships. It's really a fun
set of conversations that are now on Audible. -And then you have --
One of the interviews or the conversations
are with Oprah Winfrey. -The one and only.
-Yeah. Oprah Winfrey. And it airs --
-That Oprah. -That Oprah. And it's airing on April 25th
on Netflix as a special. -Yeah, that will be televised
because when you're with Oprah, you just televise it. -I just feel like, yeah,
you have to televise it. Yeah, but you have
actually become friends with Oprah Winfrey.
You guys are really -- -I mean, Oprah was one of
the very early supporters before Barack
was even thinking about running. I mean, she spotted him
when he was a U.S. senator. And she has sort of been -- Oprah is that person
who never asks for anything but is always there with her
generosity and love and support. There isn't anything
you can't ask her to do if you're a friend
that she won't try to do. She is who she appears to be.
-Yeah. -And I am lucky
to call her a friend. -I want to show a clip
from your special. Here's a look
at "The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama
and Oprah Winfrey." -When you first arrived
in Hawaii, you were looking for --
and I understand why -- You were a working woman
and had never been to Hawaii. So you're looking for the Hawaii
in "Hawaii Five-0." Those of you who remember
that show. -Mai Tais
and sunsets on the beach. -And honeymoon suites.
-Instead... -Yeah, instead, it was a trip
home to visit his family. That's where he was from. He wasn't going back
to some island vacation. He was going back
to be with his people. But I was young and I was --
It was cold in Chicago, and I thought, "I'm going
to Hawaii with my man. It's going to be so romantic." [ Laughter ] And then we landed,
and we went straight to Toot and Gramps' apartment.
No ocean. It was a high-rise building. Go up to the 10th floor.
You know, walk in. Looks like
my grandparents' house. Might as well be on
the South Side of Chicago. -[ Laughs ]
It's not reality. I love it. Michelle Obama, everybody. "The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama
and Oprah Winfrey" premieres April 25th on Netflix. More "Tonight Show"
after the break. Stick around.
Thank you, as always.
