Obama Presidency Oral History
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Esther Brimmer
Foreign Policy Official
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Ricardo Zúniga
Foreign Policy Official
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Art and Helen Tanderup
Farmers
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Tyler Swanson
Voting Rights Activist
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John and Teresa Palmer
Miner and Labor Leader
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Claudia Rankine
Poet
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Andre Johnson
Substance Abuse Recovery Advocate
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Colin Kahl
Foreign Policy Official
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Michelle Miller
Labor Leader
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Emil Jones
Illinois State Senator
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Kimberly Teehee
Native American Affairs Policy Advisor
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Danielle Gray
Cabinet Secretary
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Gerald Kellman
Community Organizer and Journalist
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Eric Kusunoki
Teacher of President Obama
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Frank Rose
Foreign Policy Official
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Nead Bunna
Girls' Education Advocate
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Samantha Power
Ambassador to the United Nations
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Sharon Pinder
Minority Business Advocate
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Raul Salinas
Mayor of Laredo
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Dennis Ross
Foreign Policy Official
Interviews
Explore oral histories in the collection.
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Sophia
Ford-GlantonUrologist -
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William
McRavenMilitary Official -
go to the interview
Cleopatra
CowleyAdvocate Against Gun Violence -
go to the interview
Judy
HeumannDisability Rights Activist -
go to the interview
Melody
BarnesDomestic Policy Advisor -
go to the interview
Richard
BlancoInaugural Poet -
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Lilly
LedbetterFair Pay Activist and Plaintiff -
go to the interview
Kate
OrffLandscape Architect -
go to the interview
Craig
FugateFEMA Administrator -
go to the interview
Bill
McKibbenEnvironmental Activist
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.
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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Building political support and friendships in the Chicago business community Valerie Jarrett02:13
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Reflections on attending President Obama's final State of the Union after marriage equality ruling Jim Obergefell02:51
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Reflections on the ambition of President Obama's first-term legislative agenda Rob Nabors05:47
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Planning and execution of President Obama's farewell tour Shailagh Murray02:23
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Decline of rural Black farmers and challenges in accessing resources and training Shirley Sherrod04:23
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Second meeting with Iran in Oman and the shift towards a more practical negotiation approach Jake Sullivan01:27
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Efforts to sustain US-Cuba policy changes during the Obama administration and challenges faced after the election Jefferey DeLaurentis07:30
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Proposal to move Obama's reelection campaign to Chicago and focus on technology Jim Messina02:18
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Comparing congressional opposition to climate legislation in the Clinton and Obama administrations Carol Browner03:44
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Impact of the Affordable Care Act on disaster preparedness and mental health services Nicole Lurie03:40
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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go to the Arts and Humanities
Arts and Humanities
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go to the Asia Rebalance
Asia Rebalance
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go to the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
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go to the Transparency and Media
Transparency and Media
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go to the The People's House
The People's House
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go to the Education
Education
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go to the Public Health
Public Health
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go to the Science
Science
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go to the Democrats
Democrats
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go to the Financial Reform and Regulation
Financial Reform and Regulation
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
Peter Baker in The New York Times.NewsRead more
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read full text:
An Expansive View Into Obama’s Transformative Presidency
Caroline Harting in Columbia News.NewsRead more
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read full text:
The Obama Presidency Inside-Out: A Conversation About Climate
New York CityOn May 31, 2023, we gathered in New York City to celebrate the completion of the Obama Presidency Oral History project's fieldwork.EventRead more