Michelle Obama says she won't run for president - CNET

The Obamas will be just the latest to join the ex-first couple club. George and Laura Bush have stayed out of the public eye since they left the White House, though both work for global health care and education reform through the George W. Bush Institute. Bill Clinton actively supports global issues, such as increasing opportunities for women and girls and reducing childhood obesity, with the Clinton Foundation. Hillary Clinton, of course, is running for president.

Michelle Obama said the role of first lady is a unique platform, but didn't provide specifics about what she will do next.

"When I leave here, there will be another platform. There's always another platform," she said. "But I don't know what it will feel like."

The first lady did say she plans to continue the kind of work she's done as part of the Obama administration. That work focused on four areas: Giving more girls access to education through the Let Girls Lea initiative; battling childhood obesity with the Let's Move program; encouraging young people to pursue higher education or professional training through Reach Higher and, along with Jill Biden, supporting veterans and their families through Joining Forces.

"These are issues that won't go away during a presidential term," she said. "They don't go away in a lifetime."

A seat at the table

Michelle Obama was at SXSW specifically to tout Let Girls Lea. The White House says more than 62 million girls around the world are not in school, half of them adolescents. Launched last March, Let Girls Lea is a joint effort of several govement agencies and organizations, including the US Department of State, the US Agency for Inteational Development and the Peace Corps.

She was joined onstage by rapper Missy Elliott, songwriter Diane Warren and actress Sophia Bush, who talked about helping women to overcome inequality. The women shared stories of their past, their struggles and even the music that influenced their lives. (The first lady cited Stevie Wonder's "Talking Book," which her grandfather gave her.)

On Tuesday, Michelle Obama helped to record a women-empowerment anthem called "This is For My Girls." The first lady doesn't actually sing on that recording, but she did get the artists to collaborate on it. Written by Warren, the song features Elliott, Kelly Clarkson, Kelly Rowland, Janelle Monae, Lea Michele, Zendaya, Jadagrace and Chloe & Halle.

Chloe & Halle, a duo signed to Beyonce's record label, performed the single before the panel took the stage.

The song was executive produced by Makers.com, an AOL-owned website that highlights the stories of women. Warren has likened the song to "We are the World," the star-studded charity single from 1985.

The first lady on Wednesday also talked about how men can empower women. She said the key for men is to always push for diversity.