Michelle Obama adding Harper High School stop to Chicago visit

First Lady Michelle Obama hits Chicago on Wednesday to help Mayor Rahm Emanuel raise $50 million to help at-risk kids downtown and then travels to her native South Side to meet with Harper High School students whose lives have been touched by violence.

The Harper stop was announced on Tuesday by the White House. Mrs. Obama “will meet with a small group of students and counselors at Harper High to hear firsthand about their experiences.

“Harper High School is a Chicago public school that has been profoundly affected by violence – 29 current or former students have been shot in the past year; 8 of them died.”

From my March column:

“That Mrs. Obama is lending her support to the initiative is significant in particular because — campaigns aside — she rarely makes public appearances not connected to her signature issues of combating childhood obesity and helping military families. This will also mark the first time that Mrs. Obama is making a visit home to help a Chicago charity.”