Former first lady Michelle Obama will deliver the keynote address at a democracy summit in Los Angeles this summer at a conference hosted by a nonpartisan voting organization that she helped to launch.
Mrs. Obama will make remarks on June 13, marking her first in-person appearance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The group, When We All Vote, is hosting a three-day summit focusing on voter suppression, enhancing democracy and election reform ahead of the November midterm elections.
“Democracy isn’t just a box we check every four years,” said Stephanie Young, executive director of When We All Vote. “Voting must be embedded in all aspects of our culture.”
Mrs. Obama formed the group in 2018 in hopes of expanding voter registration and Democratic turnout.
She co-chairs the organization alongside several celebrities, including Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill, Selena Gomez, Liza Koshy, Megan Rapinoe, Shonda Rhimes, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington and Rita Wilson.
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Mrs. Obama’s last big in-person appearance before the pandemic was a February 2020 conversation with Oprah Winfrey in New York that was part of a wellness tour by the former TV talk show host.
Mrs. Obama isolated during the pandemic, and, apart from the book tour, has kept a relatively low profile since leaving the White House. She appeared on Ellen Degeneres’ talk show this week.
— This article is based in part on wire-service reports.
• Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com.
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