Draft:Malia Obama

{{AFC submission|d|bio|u=PaulPachad|ns=118|decliner=Robert McClenon|declinets=20240913050522|reason2=mergeto|details2=Malia Obama|ts=20240912125239}}

{{AFC submission|d|bio|u=PaulPachad|ns=118|decliner=OhHaiMark|declinets=20240911152817|small=yes|ts=20240910201712}}

{{AFC comment|1=

This draft is a draft on a subtopic of an existing article, Family of Barack Obama. Discussion as to whether a separate article for the subtopic is warranted should be on the talk page of the parent article, Talk:Family of Barack Obama.

Please discuss the suitability of creating a separate subtopic article on the talk page of the parent article. Please resubmit this draft if there is rough consensus at the parent talk page to create the child article, or with an explanation that the child draft satisfies either general notability on its own or a special notability guide.

Please discuss at Talk:Family of Barack Obama as to whether Malia Obama is individually notable, before resubmitting. Robert McClenon (talk) 05:05, 13 September 2024 (UTC)}}

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{{Infobox person

| name = Malia Obama

| image = Obama_family_portrait_in_the_Green_Room.jpg

| caption = Malia Obama (right) 2009

| birth_name = Malia Ann Obama

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|7|4}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| party =

| parents = Michelle Obama
Barack Obama

| relations = Family of Barack Obama

}}

Malia Ann Obama..{{Cite web|title=Malia Obama|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/topic/malia-obama|access-date=2020-08-25|website=The Independent|language=en}} ( {{Respell|mə|LEE|ə}}; born July 4, 1998){{Cite web|last1=Sprankles|first1=Julie|last2=Sprankles|first2=Julie|date=2020-07-04|title=Get to Know Malia Obama|url=https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/2283010/malia-obama-things-to-know/|access-date=2020-08-25|website=SheKnows|language=en-US}} is an American filmmaker and writer, and the eldest daughter of former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama {{Cite book |last=Obama |first=Barack |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mx_SgqHV8gIC |title=Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters |date=2010-11-23 |publisher=Penguin Random House Children's UK |isbn=978-1-4464-3092-7 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Tieck |first=Sarah |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cGWV-RECTL8C&dq=malia+obama&pg=PA4 |title=Sasha & Malia Obama: Historic First Kids: Historic First Kids |date=2009-09-01 |publisher=ABDO |isbn=978-1-61714-199-7 |language=en}}. Known for her work in television and film, Malia began pursuing a career in the entertainment industry following her time as First Daughter.{{Cite web |last=Logan |first=Elizabeth |date=2024-09-09 |title=Malia Obama Wore Schoolgirl Couture to Screen Her Directorial Debut |url=https://www.glamour.com/story/malia-obama-wore-schoolgirl-couture-to-screen-her-directorial-debut |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=Glamour |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Danielle |date=2024-09-09 |title=Malia Obama Knows Her Way Around a Red Carpet |url=https://www.thecut.com/article/malia-obama-director-hit-the-red-carpet-in-france.html |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=The Cut |language=en}}

Early life

Malia Obama was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She spent much of her childhood in the public eye after her father was elected President of the United States in 2008. She attended Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-05 |title=Here's Everything We Know About Sasha Obama's Time In College |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/everything-know-sasha-obama-time-021951927.html |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=Yahoo Entertainment |language=en-US}}, graduating in 2016. After a gap year, she enrolled at Harvard University in 2017 and graduated in 2021{{Cite web |last=Rahman |first=Abid |date=2017-01-20 |title=Malia Obama to Intern for Harvey Weinstein |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/malia-obama-intern-harvey-weinstein-966403/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History{{cite web | url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/malia-obama-charting-her-own-004118714.html | title=Malia Obama is Charting Her Own Course | date=September 5, 2024 }}, she was a 2020-2021 Student Prize Recipient for Harvard's Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize "for excellent undergraduate work and excellence in the art of teaching," for her project titled "Yellow Light."https://prizes.fas.harvard.edu/files/prize-office/files/2021_fas_student_prize_winners_1.pdf

Malia Obama and her younger sister Sasha Obama were named two of "The Most Influential Teens of 2014" by TIME magazine.{{Cite magazine |last= |first= |title=The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014 |url=https://time.com/3486048/most-influential-teens-2014/ |access-date=July 12, 2024 |magazine=Time}}

Early Career and Internships Career

In March 2016, Malia Obama acted as an informal translator for her father, President Barack Obama, during their visit to Cuba. She translated Spanish to English during a meal in Old Havana, showcasing her language skills during the historic trip.{{cite web |author=Naja Rayne |date=March 21, 2016 |title=Malia Works as Translator for President Obama During Family's Historic Cuba Trip |url=http://people.com/celebrity/malia-works-as-translator-for-president-obama-during-cuba-trip/ |website=people.com}}

In the summer of 2016, Malia Obama interned at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain, during her gap year before attending Harvard University. Malia, who was proficient in Spanish, had previously served as an unofficial translator during her father's visit to Cuba.{{cite web |date=28 June 2016 |title=Malia Obama to spend summer as an intern at U.S. Embassy in Spain |url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2016/06/28/malia-obama-to-spend-summer-as-intern-at-us-embassy-in-spain/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516003117/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/06/28/malia-obama-to-spend-summer-as-intern-at-us-embassy-in-spain.html |archivedate=May 16, 2017 |website=foxnews.com}}{{Cite web |title=Malia Obama Archives |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/malia-obama/ |access-date=2020-12-19 |website=Us Weekly |language=en-US}}

In June 2016, Obama travelled to Liberia in Western Africa to promote the Let Girls Learn Peace initiative, a $27 million aid program. She then participated in a panel discussion in Morocco with Freida Pinto, Meryl Streep, and Isha Sesay of CNN. Obama met with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first elected African female head of state (President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018).{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/michelle-malia-sasha-obama-travel-163709228.html|title=Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama travel abroad to promote 'Let Girls Learn' initiative|author=|date=June 30, 2016|website=yahoo.com}}

Malia's involvement in the entertainment industry began with internships during her teenage years. In 2015, she interned on HBO's Girls, created by Lena Dunham, followed by a role on the set of Halle Berry’s CBS series Extant . In early 2017, she worked as an intern at The Weinstein Company{{Cite web |title=When Obamas Came Under Fire For Allowing Their Daughter to Intern With Harvey Weinstein - Inquisitr |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/when-obamas-came-under-fire-for-allowing-their-daughter-to-intern-with-harvey-weinstein |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=www.inquisitr.com|date=September 8, 2024 }} in New York, a position that predated the public revelations about Harvey Weinstein's misconduct .

Writing and Filmmaking Career

In 2023, Malia contributed as a writer to the Amazon Prime series Swarm, which was created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers. She co-wrote the show's fifth episode, "Girl Bye." Both Glover and Nabers noted her professionalism and dedication to the project{{Cite web |title=Donald Glover's 'Swarm' is like 'a sister' to 'Atlanta', says co-creator |url=https://ew.com/tv/donald-glover-swarm-sister-to-atlanta-inspirations/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=EW.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Brisco |first=Elise |title='Atlanta's Donald Glover praises Malia Obama as an upcoming show writer: 'She's really focused' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2022/03/25/malia-obama-writing-for-new-series-atlanta-creator-donald-glover/7166276001/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}. In an interview, former President Barack Obama discussed watching the series due to his daughter's involvement. While he expressed admiration for the show, he admitted finding certain aspects "a little disturbing," referring to some of the more intense scenes.{{Cite web |title=Barack Obama Found 'Swarm' to Be "A Little Disturbing," Despite Daughter Malia's Involvement in It {{!}} Decider |date=June 27, 2023 |url=https://decider.com/2023/06/27/barack-obama-found-swarm-disturbing-despite-daughter-malias-involvement/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |language=en-US}}{{Cite magazine |last=Bowenbank |first=Starr |date=2023-06-27 |title=Barack Obama Says He Watched Daughter Malia's Work on 'Swarm' — Even the 'Disturbing' Parts |url=https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/barack-obama-daughter-malia-swarm-1235363056/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}

Malia made her directorial debut{{Cite web |title=Netizens Gasp at Malia Obama's Real Voice in a Rare Red Carpet Interview: "She Sounds Unique" - Inquisitr |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/netizens-gasp-at-malia-obamas-real-voice-in-a-rare-red-carpet-interview-she-sounds-unique |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=www.inquisitr.com|date=September 10, 2024 }} in 2024 with The Heart, a 19-minute short film produced by Glover's company, Gilga{{Cite web |last=McBride |first=Jessica |date=2024-09-08 |title=Fans React to Hearing Malia Obama's Voice for 1st Time in Rare Red Carpet Appearance |url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/malia-obama-red-carpet/ |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=Heavy.com |language=en-US}}. The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, centers on a man grieving the death of his mother after a disagreement and an unusual request in her will{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=2023-04-04 |title=Malia Obama Developing Short Film at Donald Glover's Company; He Told Her: 'If You Make a Bad Film, It Will Follow You Around' |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/malia-obama-directing-short-film-donald-glover-1235573150/ |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Nelken-Zitser |first=Joshua |title=Malia Obama made her directorial debut at Sundance with a short film about a grieving son. Reviewers weren't impressed. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/malia-obama-sundance-director-debut-nepo-baby-film-reviews-heart-2024-2 |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}. To distance herself from her family's political legacy,{{Cite web |last=Mzezewa |first=Tariro |date=2024-02-22 |title=Looks Like Malia Obama Is Dropping Her Last Name |url=https://www.thecut.com/article/malia-obama-ann-name-change.html |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=The Cut |language=en}} she chose to be credited as "Malia Ann" for this project ^{{{Cite web |last=Rahbar |first=Sabba |date=February 21, 2024 |title=Malia Obama embraces new stage name during Hollywood directing career debut |url=https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/malia-obama-embraces-new-stage-name-during-hollywood-directing-career-debut/3223982/ |publisher=NBC Connecticut}}{{Cite news |title=Malia Dropped Her Last Name |url=https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/malia-obama-goes-by-another-name-professionally/ |access-date=July 12, 2024 |work=Marie Claire}}}. Reception to the film was mixed, with some critics accusing her of benefiting from nepotism. Reviews on the platform Letterboxd averaged 3.2 out of 5, with some describing the film as "half-baked" .

Despite these critiques, Malia was awarded the inaugural Young Spirit Award at the Deauville American Film Festival in France, where she presented the film {{Cite web |title=Malia Obama Makes Rare Red Carpet Appearance at French Film Festival: 'A Little Bit Terrified' |url=https://people.com/malia-obama-rare-red-carpet-appearance-deauville-american-film-festival-france-8708198 |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}.

Public Persona and Fashion

Malia Obama has gained recognition not only for her work in film but also for her distinct fashion sense.{{Cite web |last=Prince |first=Kate |date=2024-08-17 |title=Malia Obama's Post White House Style Transformation |url=https://www.thelist.com/1642165/malia-obama-post-white-house-style-transformation/ |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=The List |language=en-US}} She has been described as a fashion figure.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Hannah |date=2024-02-02 |title=Malia Obama Is the Reigning Queen of Gen Z Style |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/malia-obama-gen-z-style |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}} For example, at the Deauville American Film Festival, she wore a Vivienne Westwood ensemble, which drew attention{{Cite web |date=2024-09-09 |title=Everyone Is Talking About Malia Obama's Plaid Dress She Wore in France |url=https://www.theroot.com/malia-obama-pops-out-in-plaid-at-red-carpet-event-in-fr-1851643151 |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=The Root |language=en}} for its signature corset-style top and layered skirt. Malia described it as a unique experience, expressing admiration for the designer's work despite her self-professed limited knowledge of fashion.{{Cite web |title=Malia Obama Makes Rare Red Carpet Appearance at French Film Festival: 'A Little Bit Terrified' |url=https://people.com/malia-obama-rare-red-carpet-appearance-deauville-american-film-festival-france-8708198 |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}}{{Cite magazine |date=2024-09-09 |title=Malia Obama looks effortlessly cool in Vivienne Westwood at the Deauville Film Festival |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a62103629/malia-obama-tartan-set-deauville-american-film-festival/ |access-date=2024-09-12 |magazine=Harper's BAZAAR |language=en-GB}}

Personal Life

Though Malia grew up in the public eye, she has kept much of her personal life private. Unlike her parents,{{Cite web |date=2024-06-17 |title=Barack Obama Reveals Why His Daughters Will Never Go Into Politics |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sasha-malia-obama-politics_n_6670828be4b02dd2be8b9aca |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=HuffPost |language=en}} she has shown little interest in pursuing a political career, focusing instead on her work in the entertainment industry.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Hannah |date=2024-02-02 |title=Malia Obama Is the Reigning Queen of Gen Z Style |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/malia-obama-gen-z-style |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}