Obama Presidency Oral History
Interviews released
Explore a special preview of interviews related to climate, energy, the environment, and healthcare.
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Tanden -
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Baucus -
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Verrilli -
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Stern -
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Sutley -
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Chopra -
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Browner -
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Trumka -
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Holway -
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Harkin
Since 2019, Incite at Columbia University has interviewed hundreds of people to produce the official oral history of the Obama presidency. These in-depth interviews, conducted with those inside and outside of the administration, represent roughly 1,100 hours of audio and video that together form a comprehensive record of the Obama years.
Learn moreStories
Each oral history interview contains dozens of stories. Explore these stories through prepared playlists—or save stories to make your own.
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AFL-CIO's strategy on immigration reform and negotiations with the Gang of Eight Richard Trumka03:12
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Energy Secretary's perspective on clean coal and carbon capture technology Steven Chu07:09
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Discussion on the public option in healthcare reform with Rahm Emanuel Nancy-Ann DeParle02:13
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Influence of Indian American heritage on public service and community engagement Aneesh Chopra06:44
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Reflections on the lack of a central ACA implementation leader after HealthCare.gov rollout Elizabeth Fowler01:21
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Behind-the-scenes of the Keystone XL Pipeline decision process Christy Goldfuss02:11
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Impact of Sandy Hook on Obama's second term and gun control efforts Nancy-Ann DeParle02:15
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Participation in the launch of Let's Move! and the importance of networking Michael Minor04:15
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President Obama's attentiveness to a young leukemia patient during a Mother's Day celebration Connie Anderson01:22
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Supporting Rush Holt's congressional campaign due to his scientific understanding of environmental issues Heather Zichal02:43
Topics
From healthcare to the financial crisis to nuclear nonproliferation, each topic explored in this collection is brought to life by narrators from both inside and outside the Obama administration.
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Healthcare
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Climate, Environment, and Energy
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Elections and CampaignsComing soon
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Public HealthComing soon
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LaborComing soon
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Latin AmericaComing soon
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East WingComing soon
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Inherited WarsComing soon
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Human RightsComing soon
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HawaiiComing soon
Navigate
Navigate the interconnected events and places that make up this history, narrated by the stories of the people who lived it.
News& Events
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read full text:
What a New Oral History Reveals About Obama, and the Tradeoffs He Made
NewsRead more
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An Expansive View Into Obama’s Transformative Presidency
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The Obama Presidency Inside-Out: A Conversation About Climate
EventRead more