Barack Obama

A prime example of overcoming tough challenges to reach success is the story of Barack Obama. Before he reached his eight years as the very first African-American president, Obama had to fight through hate and injustice to reach his position of president. He changed laws on marriage, funded uninsured children in hospitals, and defeated the notorious Osama bin Laden. 

Barack Hussein Obama II was born August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. When he was two years old, his parents' divorce caused trouble for his childhood, but nonetheless preserved. In 1967, he moved to Indonesia with his dad and furthered his education. Obama returned to Honolulu in 1971 and graduated high school in 1979. Obama finished his college career at Columbia four years later with a bachelor's degree. He went to Harvard Law School for one year and applied himself as a lawyer. Obama got married to Michell Obama in 1992. Four years later, Barack was elected Senator of Illinois and helped make laws that benefitted the U.S. community while being a lecturer at the University of Chicago. In 2007, he announced he would be running for president. Many Republicans despised this idea of having a black man run for president. Barack Obama put up an especially good campaign with the slogan “Yes We Can,” and included everything he knew from years of education, and won the election 69,418,516 to 59,948,323 over John McCain.

Within the first 100 days of his first term, he signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gave all Americans equal pay for all workers. Later in his term, he signed the Obamacare Act, allowing hospital care to be given, regardless of skin tone, race and sex. He issued an attack on Iran’s ISIL, defeating Osama and bringing peace to the states. In his second term, he struck down DOMA, the rule that only lets civilians marry opposite genders. Defeating the rule allowed for more options to love, create opportunities and be free in America.

Barack Obama is a hero in his own right, fighting through racism and oppression. When he prevailed he changed laws, created great changes, and paved a path to American success.