President Barack Obama

Americans all over the country celebrated when President Barack Obama become the first African American President in 2009. The progress of African Americans from slaves to presidency shows how America has changed. The representation of change can not only be seen in politics but art as well.

Barack Hussein Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Unlike Kennedy, Obama did not come from a wealthy family. Barack Obama Sr., his father, was born in Kenya, Africa and grew up goat herding with his father. However, he went on to receive a scholarship and proceeded to Hawaii. His mother, Ann Duhman, grew up in Kansas and went on to attend the same college as Obama Sr.. Obama's parents unfortunately split when he was just 2 years old. Obama Sr. continued onto Harvard while his mother married another college student then moved to Jakarta. Obama grew up there, having to take classes taught in Indonesian. It was only 4 years later when he returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Obama was one of only 3 African Americans who attended his school. Obama went on to study at Colombia University graduating with a degree in political science in 1983. He continued on to study at Harvard Law school becoming the first African American to be elected for the Harvard Law Review. Graduating magna cum laude in 1991, Obama had just began his political journey.

He became a civil rights lawyer, and soon ran for Illinois State Senate. Winning, Obama worked with democrats and republicans to draft legislation on ethics, expand health care services and enforce an early childhood education programs for the poor. After the war in Iraq had begun, Obama decided to run for U.S Senate; he won with a 52% vote against businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes. From there he didactically arose awareness of avian flu, victims of Hurricane Katrina, and alternative energy sources. In 2007, he announced that he was running for president. Through many rumors and racial slurs through his campaign Obama was able to show his perseverance and reach his acme, becoming the 44th president of the United States.

In today's time, President Barack Obama has been criticized immensely on his performance as president. He faces the recession, health care, the war in Afghanistan, and alternative energy sources all of which he can not mend in a short time.