Barack & Michelle Obama

On January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama placed his hand on the same Bible Abraham Lincoln used at his inauguration and became the 44th President of the United States—and the first African American to hold the office. Beside him stood Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, who would redefine the role of First Lady for a new generation. Together, they brought hope, grace, and history to the White House.

Barack Obama

An Unlikely Journey

Barack Obama's story is uniquely American. Born in Honolulu in 1961 to a Kenyan father and a mother from Kansas, he was raised by his grandparents, worked his way through Occidental College and Columbia University, and became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He could have taken any job in America. Instead, he moved to Chicago's South Side to work as a community organizer, helping residents of struggling neighborhoods find their voice.

In 2004, a little-known state senator from Illinois delivered a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention that electrified the nation. "There's not a liberal America and a conservative America," he declared. "There's the United States of America." Four years later, he stood before 200,000 people in Chicago's Grant Park as President-elect, proving that in America, anything truly was possible.

Eight Years of Progress

President Obama inherited the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and two wars. His administration's response—the Recovery Act, the rescue of the auto industry, and Wall Street reform—helped prevent economic collapse and sparked the longest streak of job growth in American history.

The Affordable Care Act extended health insurance to over 20 million Americans who previously had none. His administration ended the combat mission in Iraq, brought Osama bin Laden to justice, and restored America's standing in the world. He championed marriage equality, protected Dreamers, and took historic action on climate change through the Paris Agreement.

Throughout it all, he conducted himself with dignity, grace, and an unwavering belief in the fundamental decency of the American people—even when that belief was tested.

Michelle Obama

When They Go Low, We Go High

Michelle Robinson grew up on Chicago's South Side, the daughter of a city pump operator and a homemaker. She attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School, then returned to Chicago, where she met a summer associate at her law firm named Barack Obama. She became his mentor. Then his friend. Then his wife.

As First Lady, Michelle Obama brought warmth, authenticity, and purpose to the White House. Her Let's Move! initiative tackled childhood obesity. Reach Higher encouraged young people to pursue education beyond high school. Joining Forces supported military families. And Let Girls Learn promoted education for girls around the world.

But perhaps her greatest impact was simply being herself—a brilliant, accomplished Black woman who refused to shrink, who danced with children, who planted a vegetable garden on the White House lawn, who showed young girls everywhere what was possible. Her memoir, Becoming, became the best-selling memoir in history.

A Partnership for the Ages

The Obamas' marriage has been as much a part of their public legacy as their individual achievements. They've shown what it looks like to be partners in every sense—supporting each other's ambitions, raising two daughters in the spotlight with grace, and maintaining their bond through the pressures of the presidency.

"The presidency reveals who you are," Michelle has said. And what the presidency revealed was a couple of uncommon decency, humor, and mutual respect—a model for relationships and for leadership.

The Work Continues

Since leaving the White House, the Obamas have continued their work through the Obama Foundation, which is building the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago and training emerging leaders from around the world. Their production company, Higher Ground, has won Academy Awards for documentary films. They remain among the most admired people on the planet.

But their most enduring legacy may be the simplest: they showed America—and the world—what was possible. A Black family in the White House. A different kind of leadership. A belief that, together, yes we can.