frazier robinson was born in 1935 in chicago with his father coming from north of the great migration. he went to a local high school was in the army, he was a boxer and swimmer and he was the heart and soul of his family. he was the oldest brother kind, worked as the democratic presti prestinct capital. he shared values as of course did her mother. and she was close to her father up until his death. >> host: and he suffered many years from ms. how did seeing him get up and go to work every day in that state affect her? >> guest: that is right. it is something michelle obama talks about.

i talked to classmates of frazier robinson and relatives of hers that told the same story. parents, cousins, aunts and uncles came to chicago in search of a world that was more fair more free for african-americans and where there was more opportunity. and as one of frazier robinson's friends said frazier was about the business of being business. you get on with it you do your work you stick to your knitting and do a little better than your parents and with luck the kids do better than you. >> host: you say in the book all of these parents had a larger message fundamental to their upbringing rooted into paradox of contradicted ideas but the playing field wasn't level but there was the conviction a combination of love, support, purseersevereance and upbringing lived on. >> guest: i heard that from the governor of massachusetts who grew up on the south side of chicago and he talked about the lessons he learned and the fundamental message of getting on with it but at the same time parents, in his case a grandmother who had endured racial hostility for saying it exist, it is imp

going back there and looking at the life of her father, frazier robinson iii whom she called the north star, even after he died. what was it about her parents her father in particular, that gave her that outlook and her values. >> guest: that's right. many people remember in the 2008 campaign, she would say of her father that he is the voice i hear inside my head when i'm asking myself, am i making a good decision right now? fraser robinson was born in 1359 on the south side of chicago. his parents had come north. his father has come north in the great migration. he went to local high school, he went into the army, he was a boxer, he was a swimmer and he really was the heart and soul of his family. he was the oldest brother. he was gregarious. he was seen as kind. he work as a democratic precinct captain where he was solving problems at the very local street level in chicago at a difficult time, and he spun stories and he shared his values as of course did michelle's mother at the same time. and michelle was particularly close to her father. up until his death. >> host: he had suffered