Barack Obama (Finding Aid)

Barack Obama

1961 -

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Food: Red beans and rice

Favorite Time of Year: Summer and Early Fall

Favorite Vacation Spot: Bali

Interview Length: 101 minutes

Interview Date(s): February 16, 2001

Interview Location(s): Chicago, Illinois

Abstract

Politician and civil rights attorney Barack Obama lists his five favorites. Obama describes the backgrounds of both his mother and his father; he goes on to describe his mother's personality and influences. He shares his earliest memories of life in Hawaii and describes his adolescent behavior. The product of an interracial union, Obama describes his early experience defining an identity for himself. Lastly, he considers his mother's investment in the civil rights efforts of the 1960s. Politician and civil rights attorney Barack Obama reflects on the years he lived in Indonesia as a child. The product of an interracial union, Obama continues to discuss the process of defining a racial identity. Obama recounts his college years, first at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, then at Columbia University, New York, New York. He describes his professional pursuits following college and particularly his employment as a community organizer in Chicago, Illinois. Finally, he recalls his years at Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Politician and civil rights attorney Barack Obama assessess his law school experience. He discusses his introduction into electoral politics, his first campaign for state-elected office and his experience as an Illinois state senator. Barack Obama discusses politics at the local and state level. He considers the role of government in society and characterizes a new generation of African American politicians. He then names influential figures in his life and describes his own legacy.

25 Stories (See Ordered Story Set)