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.

  • William Taylor

    Foreign Policy Official

  • Jim Steinberg

    Deputy Secretary of State

  • Zeke Emanuel

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Kendrick Eagle

    Standing Rock Sioux Youth Leader

  • Louvon Harris

    Hate Crimes Legislation

  • Jen Psaki

    White House Communications Director

  • Brian Mosteller

    Director of Oval Office Operations

  • Tawakkol Karman

    Human Rights Activist

  • Anthony Fauci

    Public Health Official

  • Charles Kupchan

    Foreign Policy Official

  • Melanie Bahnke

    Alaska Native and Arctic Issues Advocate

  • Gabriele Grossman

    Campaign Volunteer

  • Leana Wen

    Public Health Official

  • Christy Goldfuss

    Environmental Policy Official

  • Neera Tanden

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Tina Tchen

    Chief of Staff to the First Lady

  • Julius Genachowski

    FCC Chair

  • Doua Thor

    Public Engagement Official and Advocate

  • Chris Hughes

    Media Proprietor and Campaigner

  • Emil Jones

    Illinois State Senator

William Taylor
Foreign Policy Official
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
    Millennial tech scene's optimism and naivety during the financial crisis Chelsea Manning
    02:12
  • go to the interview
    Addressing lack of diversity in Obama's second-term cabinet appointments Marc Morial
    03:55
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on the White House Jobs Summit and economic recovery strategies in 2009 David Cote
    03:43
  • go to the interview
    Experience and challenges during the Obama-Biden transition period Tommy Vietor
    03:45
  • go to the interview
    Decision to stop defending DOMA and the shift to heightened scrutiny standard Kathryn Ruemmler
    05:38
  • go to the interview
    Obama's formative experiences in Chicago and their influence on his career path Dan Hale
    01:19
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on leading Planned Parenthood during the Obama era and the importance of youth in movements Cecile Richards
    06:36
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on representing the US in China as a young student Christina Falcon
    02:23
  • go to the interview
    Campaign strategy and resource allocation during Obama's election campaign Jon Carson
    05:33
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on Justice Scalia's candor and the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor David Axelrod
    04:28
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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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