“I found out his character—did he see what I see? Did he have the feelings I felt? Did he get what I got out of the movie? So we talked for hours after the movie like everyone would tend to do, and I would say that that date probably sealed the deal,” Michelle recounted, noting that she initially questioned whether it was “appropriate to date” Barack given their professional relationship and her supervisory responsibilities.

The workplace dynamic was further complicated by their shared identity as members of a small African American professional community within the firm. “We worked in the same place, we were probably one of a handful of Black folks, but he was persistent,” Michelle explained, highlighting how their shared experience as minorities in a predominantly white professional environment created both connection and potential complications.