Obama Presidency Oral History

Incite at Columbia University
The Obama Presidency as told by 450+ officials, activists, organizers, and extraordinary people from all walks of life.

  • Vivek Murthy

    Surgeon General

  • Brian Mosteller

    Director of Oval Office Operations

  • Tom Wheeler

    FCC Chair

  • Terrence Wise

    Minimum Wage Activist

  • Byron Auguste

    Economic Policy Advisor

  • DJ Patil

    White House Chief Data Scientist

  • Thomas Perez

    Secretary of Labor

  • Rafaai M. Hamo

    Engineer and Professor

  • James Crown

    Businessperson and Campaign Fundraiser

  • Ron Kirk

    US Trade Representative

  • Paulette Aniskoff

    Public Engagement Official

  • Steven Chu

    Secretary of Energy

  • Julián Castro

    HUD Secretary

  • Jim Obergefell

    Marriage Equality Activist and Plaintiff

  • Michael Posner

    Foreign Policy Official

  • Newton Minow

    Attorney

  • Elizabeth Phu

    Defense and Foreign Policy Official

  • Bobby Rush

    Member of Congress

  • Muriel Finegold

    Political and Environmental Activist

  • Jim Messina

    Political Advisor and Campaign Manager

Vivek Murthy
Surgeon General
462

Interviews

Explore oral histories in the collection.

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Between 2019 and 2023 Incite at Columbia University 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.

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Stories

Each oral history interview contains dozens of stories. Explore these stories through prepared playlists—or save stories to make your own.

  • go to the interview
    Obama's cautious approach to race and the role of White House arts events in racial solidarity Elizabeth Alexander
    05:45
  • go to the interview
    Memorable moments from Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign Melissa Winter
    04:40
  • go to the interview
    Participation in the Education Drives America tour and its impact on perspectives Martha Kanter
    03:46
  • go to the interview
    Attempted trip to China during the APEC Summit and being denied access Nathan Law
    01:11
  • go to the interview
    Nomination as Secretary of Defense following the 2012 reelection Chuck Hagel
    06:25
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on the significance of President Obama's Cairo speech Huma Abedin
    03:04
  • go to the interview
    Participation in Anti-Apartheid protests while working at the Department of Justice Eric Holder
    02:34
  • go to the interview
    Use of behavioral science in Obama's 2012 reelection campaign strategy Jim Messina
    03:47
  • go to the interview
    Influence of climate change on policy and response to Superstorm Sandy Valerie Jarrett
    03:35
  • go to the interview
    Reactions to Donald Trump's election and perceptions of the Obama administration Claudia Rankine
    03:53
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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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Navigate

Navigate the interconnected events and places that make up this history, narrated by the stories of the people who lived it.



2009-17

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Discover

Put thousands of stories in conversation with each other using our experimental collection visualizer.

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News& Events

  • read full text: What a New Oral History Reveals About Obama, and the Tradeoffs He Made
    Peter Baker in The New York Times.
    NewsRead more
  • read full text: An Expansive View Into Obama’s Transformative Presidency
    Caroline Harting in Columbia News.
    NewsRead more
  • read full text: The Obama Presidency Inside-Out: A Conversation About Climate
    New York City
    On May 31, 2023, we gathered in New York City to celebrate the completion of the Obama Presidency Oral History project's fieldwork.
    EventRead more
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