Barack Hussein Obama II
- Born:
- August 4, 1961, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Politician, Lawyer, Professor, Author
Early Life and Education
- Born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama Sr. and Ann Dunham.
- Spent part of his childhood in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu in 1979.
- Attended Occidental College for two years.
- Transferred to Columbia University, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science in 1983.
- Worked as a community organizer in Chicago.
- Graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991, where he was the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review.
Career and Major Achievements
- Worked as a civil rights attorney and community organizer.
- Served as a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.
- Elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996, serving until 2004.
- Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, representing Illinois.
- Elected as the 44th President of the United States in 2008, becoming the first African-American president.
- Re-elected as President of the United States in 2012.
- Signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to stimulate the economy during the Great Recession.
- Oversaw the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, expanding health insurance coverage.
- Ended the Iraq War in 2011.
- Authorized the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011.
- Established the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.
Notable Works
- Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (1995)
- The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (2006)
- A Promised Land (2020)
Awards and Honors
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Nobel Peace Prize | 2009 |
| Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album (Dreams from My Father) | 2006 |
| Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album (The Audacity of Hope) | 2008 |
| Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album (A Promised Land) | 2022 |
Legacy and Impact
Barack Obama's presidency is regarded as a period of significant social and political change in the United States. His election as the first African-American president was a historic milestone. The discussion around the impact and legacy of political figures is ongoing. Some may find the details in the biography written by, for example, "ed richardson alabama biography of barack", very helpful to develop an informed opinion.