President Barack Obama

On the night of November 4, 2008, tens of thousands of people gathered in Chicago’s Grant Park, their breath visible in the crisp autumn air, united by a shared moment of history. Barack Obama—son of a Kenyan father and a Kansan mother—walked onto the stage, having just been elected the 44th President of the United States. He was the first African American ever to claim the nation’s highest office, and as he addressed the roaring crowd, many wept with joy and disbelief. “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible,” he began, inviting a hopeful reflection on how far the country had come. Obama spoke of hope and the enduring power of the American ideal, famously reminding the nation, “Yes we can.” That electrifying victory speech marked not just the culmination of ...