Barack Obama Biography Quotes 124 Report mistakes

124 Quotes
Occup.	President
From	USA
Born	August 4, 1961 Honolulu, Hawaii
Age	64 years

Early Life and Family
Barack Hussein Obama II was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His mother, Ann Dunham of Kansas, was an anthropologist; his father, Barack Obama Sr., was a Kenyan economist who studied in the United States before returning to East Africa. After his parents separated, Obama spent several formative years in Indonesia with his mother and stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, before returning to Hawaii to live with his grandparents, Stanley and Madelyn Dunham. He graduated from Punahou School, a diverse and rigorous college-preparatory academy in Honolulu, experiences that would shape his outlook on culture, race, and opportunity in America.

Education and Early Career
Obama attended Occidental College in Los Angeles before transferring to Columbia University in New York, where he earned a degree in political science in 1983. Drawn to public service, he moved to Chicago in 1985 to work as a community organizer with churches on the city's South Side, focusing on job training, education, and housing in neighborhoods affected by plant closures. He later enrolled at Harvard Law School, where he became the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review, graduating in 1991. Returning to Chicago, he practiced civil rights law at Miner, Barnhill & Galland and taught constitutional law as a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School.

Personal Life
While a summer associate at the law firm Sidley & Austin, Obama met Michelle Robinson, a young attorney who would become his closest partner and adviser. They married in 1992, and their family grew with the births of Malia and Sasha. Michelle Obama's own public service career, including work at Chicago City Hall and the University of Chicago Medical Center, made the couple prominent figures in Chicago civic life. Trusted friends and advisers such as Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod would later join Obama's political journey.

Illinois Politics and National Emergence
Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996, serving until 2004. In Springfield, he worked on ethics reform, access to health care, and criminal justice measures such as requiring videotaped interrogations in capital cases. After an unsuccessful 2000 primary challenge to U.S. Representative Bobby Rush, he continued building alliances across party lines, including with Republican colleagues and with State Senate President Emil Jones Jr., who helped him advance landmark legislation. In 2004 he won election to the U.S. Senate, defeating Republican nominee Alan Keyes after a crowded primary. His keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, delivered as John Kerry accepted the party's nomination for president, introduced him to a national audience with themes of unity and civic responsibility.

U.S. Senate
As a senator, Obama served on committees including Foreign Relations; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; and Veterans' Affairs. He partnered with Republican Senator Richard Lugar on efforts to secure loose weapons and reduce the threat of proliferation, reflecting a pragmatic approach to policy. His book The Audacity of Hope, published in 2006, articulated a politics of common purpose and further elevated his profile. Advisers such as Axelrod and media strategist Robert Gibbs helped craft a message centered on reform and inclusion.

2008 Presidential Campaign
Obama announced his presidential candidacy in 2007, campaigning against a formidable Democratic field led by Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards. With campaign manager David Plouffe, finance chair Penny Pritzker, and a volunteer-driven digital strategy, he built a broad coalition of voters. The speech "A More Perfect Union", addressing race and American history, showcased his ability to engage difficult topics with candor. After winning the nomination, he selected Senator Joe Biden as his running mate and defeated Senator John McCain in the general election. The transition brought experienced figures such as Rahm Emanuel as White House chief of staff and Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers to address the economic crisis.

First Term (2009–2013)
Taking office amid the worst financial downturn since the Great Depression, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to stimulate the economy, working with congressional leaders including Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. He coordinated with Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke while undertaking an auto industry rescue. His administration enacted the Affordable Care Act in 2010, with major roles played by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and later Sylvia Mathews Burwell, expanding coverage and instituting insurance reforms. Financial sector regulation arrived through the Dodd-Frank Act, guided in part by Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. Obama appointed Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. On national security, he ended the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, ordered a troop surge in Afghanistan, and authorized the 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden, working with Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Leon Panetta, CIA leaders, and Admiral William McRaven. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Second Term (2013–2017)
Reelected over Mitt Romney in 2012, Obama faced a divided Congress led in part by Speaker John Boehner and later Paul Ryan, and by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. His administration pursued gun safety measures after the tragedy at Sandy Hook, with Biden chairing a task force, though major legislation stalled. On climate, the Environmental Protection Agency under Gina McCarthy advanced the Clean Power Plan; the United States helped broker the Paris climate agreement in 2015, with Secretary of State John Kerry playing a central role. The administration reached the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, with negotiators including Wendy Sherman. Obama announced a thaw in relations with Cuba, engaging with Raul Castro. In 2014 the My Brother's Keeper initiative focused on opportunities for boys and young men of color. He appointed Susan Rice as national security adviser and worked closely with Samantha Power at the United Nations. He nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016, but the Senate did not act on the nomination.

Political Challenges and Leadership Style
Obama's governing style combined deliberation and data-driven analysis with an emphasis on coalition-building. He often relied on a close inner circle that included Axelrod, Jarrett, Denis McDonough, and Press Secretaries Robert Gibbs, Jay Carney, and Josh Earnest. He faced fierce political opposition, including from the Tea Party movement, budget showdowns, and repeated efforts to repeal the ACA. He also responded to social movements and national reckonings on race, speaking after events in Ferguson and Charleston; his eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney became one of his most noted addresses. Despite supporting background check expansion led by Senators Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey, the Senate did not pass the measure. Internationally, he confronted a resurgent Russia under Vladimir Putin after the 2014 annexation of Crimea, negotiated the New START treaty earlier with Dmitry Medvedev, and grappled with the rise of ISIS and the civil war in Syria.

2016 Election and Transition
Term-limited after two terms, Obama campaigned for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. Donald Trump won the presidency, and Obama oversaw the transition while underscoring the importance of democratic norms. He spoke publicly against misinformation, including conspiracy theories about his birth that had circulated for years, and emphasized a peaceful transfer of power as a hallmark of American democracy.

Post-Presidency
After leaving office in 2017, Obama and Michelle Obama launched the Obama Foundation to support civic leadership and global engagement, and advanced plans for the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side. They co-founded Higher Ground Productions, partnering with Netflix on documentaries and storytelling projects. Obama's memoir, A Promised Land, followed earlier books Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope; Michelle Obama's bestselling memoir, Becoming, further illuminated their family's path. He delivered eulogies and tributes, including for Congressman John Lewis, and supported efforts led by former Attorney General Eric Holder to address redistricting through the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Obama used speeches and virtual events to encourage public health measures and civic participation. He endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020 and campaigned for Democratic candidates in subsequent elections, returning to the White House in 2022 for an event marking the Affordable Care Act's legacy.

Legacy
Obama's presidency is often assessed through the lens of economic recovery after the Great Recession, health care reform, and a foreign policy that balanced multilateral diplomacy with targeted use of force. Supporters emphasize the expansion of health insurance, advances on climate and LGBTQ rights, and a dignified, deliberative approach to the office. Critics cite unmet aspirations, partisan divisions, and difficult outcomes in places such as Syria and Libya. Beyond policy, his story as the first Black president, shaped by family ties spanning the United States, Kenya, and Indonesia, and by friendships and partnerships with figures like Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, and a wide circle of advisers, remains a defining chapter in the nation's civic life.

Our collection contains 124 quotes who is written by Barack, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Motivational - Wisdom - Justice - Never Give Up.

Other people realated to Barack: Dalai Lama (Leader), Michael Jordan (Athlete), Colin Powell (Statesman), Jesse Jackson (Activist), Robert De Niro (Actor), George W. Bush (President), Billie Jean King (Athlete), Stevie Wonder (Musician), Toni Morrison (Novelist), Oprah Winfrey (Entertainer)

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