Former First Lady Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson visited Yellow Springs on Sunday to speak with comedian and local resident Dave Chappelle.
They recorded their conversation for their podcast IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson at WYSO’s new studios.
It was an opportunity to show the capabilities of the new community space at the station, WYSO General Manager Luke Dennis said.
"We have a new event space, something we did not have in any of our previous homes," he said. "It's a venue that can seat up to 110 people. And yeah, yesterday was a way to pilot and test this idea of doing more in-person community engagement events."
The conversation covered many topics, such as why Chappelle lives in Yellow Springs and why he invested in the renovation of the 1872 Union Schoolhouse that houses the station. WYSO is a tenant in the building, and Chappelle isn't involved in any of the news, music or other editorial content of the station.
The former first lady also reflected on the time she and former President Barack Obama spent in Ohio during the campaign in 2008 and 2012.
"Mrs. Obama seemed really taken with Yellow Springs, our town and some of the people she had met," Dennis said. "And they had a really beautiful conversation about her memories of spending so much time in Ohio when her husband was on the campaign trail both in '08 and '12."
The podcast was also recorded on video by local filmmaker Steve Bognar and will be posted on podcast platforms in the next few weeks.
