The biography of barack hussein obama

On November 6,Obama won a second term as president, capturing more than 60 percent of the Electoral College. Obama officially began his second term on January 21,when U. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office. In his second inaugural address, Obama called the nation to action on such issues as climate change, health care, the federal deficit, and marriage equality.

Obama stated that the program had helped stop roughly 50 threats. However, the president suffered a significant drop in his approval ratings, to 45 percent, partially due to the revelations. In AugustObama ordered the first airstrikes against the Islamic State on targets in Syria, though the president pledged to keep combat troops out of the conflict.

Several Arab countries joined the airstrikes against the extremist group. However, U. As of Decembermore than 1, people have died, according to military officials. Outside watchdog organizations, like Airwars, estimate the number of casualties could be as many as several thousand. In SeptemberObama made diplomatic strides with Iran. He spoke with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the phone, which marked the first direct contact between the leaders of the two countries in more than 30 years.

This groundbreaking move by Obama was seen by many as a sign of thawing in the relationship between the United States and Iran. In JulyObama announced that, after lengthy negotiations, the United States and five world powers had reached an agreement with Iran. The deal allowed inspectors entry into Iran to make sure the country kept its pledge to limit its nuclear program and enrich uranium at a much lower level than would be needed for a nuclear weapon.

In return, the United States and its partners removed the tough sanctions imposed on Iran and allowed the country to ramp up sales of oil and access frozen bank accounts. That year, Obama also traveled to India and reached a civilian nuclear agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that opened the door to U. Elsewhere, Obama moved to reestablish diplomatic ties with Cuba in December He and Cuban President Raul Castro announced the normalizing of diplomatic relations between the countries for the first time since The policy change came after the exchange of American citizen Alan Gross and another unnamed American intelligence agent for three Cuban spies.

However, the long-standing U. Kennedyremained in effect. On March 20,Obama became the first sitting American president to visit Cuba sinceas part of his larger program to establish greater cooperation between the two countries. Just prior to the trip, on March 10,Obama met at the White House with newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the first official visit by a Canadian leader in nearly 20 years.

In Augustthe Obama administration announced the Clean Power Plan, a major climate change policy that included the first national standards to limit carbon pollution from coal-burning power plants and called for more renewable energy from sources like wind and solar power. Ultimately, the plan never took effect after facing backlash and lawsuits from business groups, companies, 27 states, and Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnellwho was then the Republican minority leader.

In Februarythe Supreme Court ruled,to block the plan by putting a hold on regulations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, mostly from coal power plants. Obama also worked to respond to climate change on the global level. The agreement requires all participating nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit the rise of global temperatures and also to allocate resources for the research and development of alternative energy sources.

Obama pledged that the United States would cut its emissions more than 25 percent by On October 5,the United Nations announced the Paris Climate Agreement had been ratified by a sufficient number of countries—including China and the United States, the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases—to allow it to take effect starting on November 4, Both justices were confirmed under a Democratic-majority Senate.

In March, the president held a press conference at the White House to present year-old U. They stated their intention to block any nominee put forward by Obama, fearing that such a confirmation would tip the balance toward a more liberal-leaning court. Garland was never granted a Senate confirmation hearing, and the seat sat empty until April when Neil Gorsuchnominated by President Donald Trump, was confirmed.

The presidents granted a total of 1, clemencies, including commuting the sentence of Chelsea Manningthe U. Army intelligence analyst who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking classified information to WikiLeaks. Over the course of his administration, Obama led the country away from financial catastrophe as the Great Recession gave away to market stability and a declining unemployment rate.

Obama also struggled to enact the gun control measures he hoped for, such as universal background checks and the resurrection of the federal ban on sales of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Some of the mass shootings during his time include at Sandy Hook Elementary School 20 children and six adult fatalities in Connecticut; an Aurora, Colorado movie theater 12 fatalities ; a historically Black church in Charleston, South Carolina 9 fatalities ; and a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida 49 fatalities.

Ever the optimist, Obama shared these parting words at his last press conference with the White House press corps:. On January 27,Obama delivered his first State of the Union speech. Obama also challenged politicians to stop thinking of reelection and start making positive changes. He criticized Republicans for their refusal to support legislation and chastised Democrats for not pushing hard enough to get legislation passed.

In his State of the Union address, Obama declared that the nation was out of recession. He went on to share his vision for ways to improve the nation through free community college programs and middle-class tax breaks. With Democrats outnumbered by Republicans in both the House and the Senate, Obama threatened to use his executive power to prevent any tinkering by the opposition on his existing policies.

Death of Nelson Mandela [ change change source ]. Minimum wage and college [ change change source ]. Legalization of same-sex marriage [ change change source ]. Climate change [ change change source ]. Nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court [ change change source ]. Post-presidency, —present [ change change source ]. References [ change change source ].

Department of Health, Hawaii. August 9, Archived from the original on October 14, Retrieved Pew Research Center - U. Washington, D. Archived from the original on October 26, Retrieved December 31, The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 28, The Honolulu Advertiser. Archived from the original on January 29, Talk of the Nation Political Junkie blog.

Archived from the original on May 11, Barack Obama: Man of Destiny. Archived from the original on The New York Times. August 8, ISSN April 4, Archived from the original on April 5, Retrieved April 5, United Press International. Archived from the original on May 10, November 7, Archived from the the biography of barack hussein obama on November 7, Retrieved November 7, Archived from the original on December 21, Retrieved February 3, ABC News.

December 15, Archived from the original on February 23, Other websites [ change change source ]. Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Barack Obama. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Barack Obama. Cabinet of President Barack Obama — Hillary Clinton — John Kerry — Timothy Geithner — Jack Lew — Eric Holder — Loretta Lynch — Ken Salazar — Sally Jewell — Tom Vilsack — Hilda Solis — Tom Perez — Kathleen Sebelius — Sylvia Mathews Burwell — Shaun Donovan — Julian Castro — Ray LaHood — Anthony Foxx — Steven Chu — Ernest Moniz — Arne Duncan — John King — Eric Shinseki — Bob McDonald — Janet Napolitano — Jeh Johnson — Joe Biden — Lisa Jackson — Gina McCarthy — Ron Kirk — Michael Froman — Susan Rice — Samantha Power — Presidents of the United States.

Grant Rutherford B. He wrote his autobiography which was prompted by his selection as the first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review. A community activist, he served as an Illinois State senator for seven years, and later as the only African American the biography of barack hussein obama in the th United States Congress.

His skillful speech at the Democratic Convention and his call for all Americans to unite brought speculations about his national political future. Some envisioned him as the first African American U. Obama Jr. The family began to deteriorate when the elder Obama won a scholarship to Harvard to earn a Ph. Since the funding was not enough to support his family, he had to go alone.

After completing his Ph. The couple determined it was best to divorce. The elder Obama continued to write to his son and remarried, adding more siblings to share the family name. He came to see his son only once, before he died in an automobile accident in Kenya in On an extended holiday when Obama was ten, his father briefly shared his life.

In the years after his parents' divorce, Obama and his mother remained in Honolulu. Even though his grandparents did not cater to racist ideas and sought to protect him, Obama still chose to call himself Barry. His given name Barack means "blessed" in Swahili, but he chose a name that would allow him to fit in. In an environment of only seven or eight African American students in his school, this was important.

Obama, in his autobiography Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritancewrites about being puzzled by his grandparents' resistance to racism. He was simply told by his grandmother, "your grandfather and I just figured we should treat people decently, Bar. That's all. Although their openness secured him in many ways, he came to understand himself as a person of mixed heritage.

In when Obama was six years old, his mother remarried and the family moved to Djakarta, Indonesia. When Obama was ten, he returned to Honolulu where he had better educational opportunities. He earned a place at Punahou School, a very prestigious school, and initially lived with his grandparents. He later lived with his mother and sister once they returned to Honolulu.

Obama's teenage years were troubled because of his confused sense of identity. He experimented with drugs and gave more attention to basketball and bodysurfing than to academics. He was a black man within the school's small minority population, and the expectations regarding his success were low. As he stated in his memoirs, Dreams from My Fatherpeople were quite satisfied that he did not move or speak too loudly, "Such a pleasant surprise to find a well-mannered young black man who didn't seem angry.

The biography of barack hussein obama

As a young adult Obama moved to the mainland. From Hawaii to Columbia, Obama found that racial tension infected the environment. By this time he came to know that activism was the way to effect change. He graduated in from Columbia University in political science with specialization in international relations. He spent a year in the financial sector, while writing letters to community service organizations all over the United Statesasking what he could do to help.

Obama moved to Chicago and went to work with a church-based group that focused on the city's economically troubled neighborhoods. He became a community organizer in the Alt-geld Gardens housing project on the south side of Chicago. Various experiences caused a change in his thinking and he became a Christian. Obama joined the Trinity United Church of Christ.

This honor is bestowed on a law student who demonstrates exceptional academic abilities, excellent writing and editing skills, and strong leadership qualities. As a result of this work Obama was offered a publishing deal for a book about his life, which was to include optimistic messages regarding the racial situation in the United States.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, inObama wrote his autobiography, which was published in and re-released in Robinson, who also graduated from Harvard Law school, and Obama were married in Passing up an opportunity from a top Chicago law firm, Obama decided to practice civil rights law with the small public-interest law firm Miner, Barnhill and Galland.

He also became a lecturer of constitutional law at the University of Chicago. Continuing his role as activist, Obama took on the management of a statewide voter registration drive as director of the Illinois Project VOTE. The aggressive organizational plan that Obama helped develop was effective in registering overvoters. In Obama stepped into the political ring.

His goals were clear as he turned down a chance to apply for a tenure-track teaching position at the University of Chicago. Obama, who identifies himself as an African American, ran for Illinois state senator from Hyde Parkthe thirteenth legislative district. His work in the community and his role as a professor and civil rights lawyer set the tone for a successful election.

As state senator, he served as chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee, passed bills to increase funding for AIDS prevention and care, and introduced legislation to curb racial profiling. Working-class people and those issues that impact the quality of their lives were key concerns for Obama. In Obama ran unsuccessfully for the first Congressional district against incumbent Bobby Rush, a former Black Panther.

Criticism regarding Obama during his unsuccessful run centered on his biracial background and his having been too associated with the ivy league in essence, not black enough. His autobiography is the source for these comments from the community. He hoped his book would show the process of self-awareness and the fact that mistakes and challenges can be overcome.

Obama continued in the role of state senator until The debate on his background subsided and the stage was set for future political opportunities to aid the African American community and the community at large. He was supported by South Side residents as well as Bobby Rush. His victory was attributed to volunteers, his coalition of white Chicago voters, and other supporters in the state.

The Republican Party had fervently tried to find a candidate to run again Obama. They needed someone to meet political scrutiny and withstand the growing appeal of Obama. In a last effort to locate such a candidate, Alan Keyes, a former ambassador and African American conservative residing in Maryland, was chosen. Keyes was in trouble from the start as he first had to establish residency.

He had recently criticized former First Lady Hilary Clinton for having to establish residency in order to run in the New York primary. Keyes also alienated both parties as well as voters by making politically incorrect statements. Hypocrisy, radical statements, and extreme positions promoted by Keyes fueled the almost frantic campaign in favor of Obama.

In an election that was surrounded by false starts, candidate withdrawals, and questions of other candidates' integrity, Obama stood heads above the confusion with name recognition and a clear connection to Illinois voters. With a landslide victory of 70 percent of the votes, Obama became the third African American to be elected in the U.

Senate since Reconstruction and the fifth African American to be elected in U. Obama also became the only African American senator in the th Congress. Obama is a charismatic and forceful speaker, who captures the hearts and minds of Americans of diverse racial and social backgrounds. His campaign was so successful that he was invited to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.

Obama became the third African American to provide the convention speech. Time called Obama's speech, "one of the best in convention history," and Obama told Ebony all he was trying to do was to "tell the stories of the hopes, fears, and struggles of what ordinary people are going through every day. Obama's journey is one of self-discovery, empowerment, and confrontation with the U.

The first of three books, due out inwas expected to include Obama's political views. The second was expected to be a children's book co-written by wife Michelle and the couple's two daughters, Malia Ann and Natsha, with the proceeds to go to charity. The content of the third book was undetermined. Manheim, James M. Contemporary Black Biography.

Farmington Hills, Mich. Graff, E. Kinnon, Joy Bennett. Mitchell, Mary. Ripley, Amanda. Senator to Perhaps Higher Office? Roach, Ronald. Zeleny, Jeff. Obama's Allure Transcends Black and White. Leibovich, Mark. Barack Obama is the third African American to serve in the U. Senate since the mids. Inhe became the first African American to be considered a serious contender for the office of president of the United States.

Obama was born on August 4,in Hawaii. His father was an African American from Kenya, and his mother was a white woman from Kansas. Obama's father returned to his homeland to work for the government while his son was still young, and Obama was raised by his stepfather and mother in Indonesia from the age of six to the age of ten. At that point, he returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents.

After graduating from Columbia University inObama moved to Chicago, Illinoisto work as a community organizer on the city's South Side, an area known for its intense poverty. While there, he decided to become a lawyer. Obama graduated magna cum laude in and became a civil rights lawyer in Chicago. At the same time, he taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.

Obama married Michelle Robinson in The the biography of barack hussein obama had two daughters. InObama was elected to the Illinois Senate as a Democrat. While there, he authored landmark legislation to end racial profiling and sponsored a bill to expand medical coverage for uninsured children. He earned a reputation as an intelligent, charismatic politician with a strong.

His vision of progress allowed him to work with members of both the Democratic Party and Republican Party. In MarchObama was elected to the U. Senate with 53 percent of the vote. It was the first time in history that two African Americans ran against one another in a Senate general election. Just months later, the Democratic Party invited Obama to be the keynote speaker at its national convention.

While serving in the U. Senate, Obama continued to impress fellow politicians and private citizens alike with his ability to find common ground. He distinguished himself as a man who was able to retain civility even as he disagreed with others. His personal philosophy was the basis for his book titled Dreams from My Father. His book, The Audacity of Hopewas a best-seller.

Obama announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the biography of barack hussein obama in February His Democratic rivals included former First Lady and U. Edwards eventually dropped out of the race, and Obama continued to win key primaries and caucuses over Clinton throughout the early months of Obama's campaign was relatively clear of scandal, and he maintained a respectful tone throughout.

In MarchObama's church, the Trinity United Church of Christwas highly criticized as anti-American and racist, and it reflected badly on Obama. The church's minister, Reverend Jeremiah Wright —was often featured in the media because of his controversial sermons. At various times throughout his career, Wright had preached sermons accusing the federal government of crimes against African Americansincluding perpetuating racism and creating the HIV virus to infect them.

Following the release of sound-bites of some of Wright's controversial speeches, Obama publicly rejected Wright's racially charged comments but defended him as a friend and mentor. He urged Americans to use the controversy to examine race relations. Obama and Clinton took similar stances on nearly ever issue, from educational reform to abortion rights.

Where they differed was in their opinions regarding the Iraq invasionwhich had been raging since Clinton had initially voted to send American troops to war but changed her mind and later decided that America needed to pull out of Iraq. Obama had consistently voted against waging war in Iraq. The midterm elections proved challenging, as Republicans gained a majority in both houses of Congress.

His second term was marked by several international events. InObama came out strongly against the use of chemical weapons on civilians by Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, avoiding a direct strike on Syria when al-Assad agreed to accept a Russian proposal that it relinquish its chemical weapons. Perhaps the defining moment of his international diplomacy was his work on the Iran Nuclear Dealwhich allowed inspectors into Iran to ensure it was under the pledged limit of enriched uranium in return for lifting economic sanctions.

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