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.

  • Esther Brimmer

    Foreign Policy Official

  • Ricardo Zúniga

    Foreign Policy Official

  • Art and Helen Tanderup

    Farmers

  • Tyler Swanson

    Voting Rights Activist

  • John and Teresa Palmer

    Miner and Labor Leader

  • Claudia Rankine

    Poet

  • Andre Johnson

    Substance Abuse Recovery Advocate

  • Colin Kahl

    Foreign Policy Official

  • Michelle Miller

    Labor Leader

  • Emil Jones

    Illinois State Senator

  • Kimberly Teehee

    Native American Affairs Policy Advisor

  • Danielle Gray

    Cabinet Secretary

  • Gerald Kellman

    Community Organizer and Journalist

  • Eric Kusunoki

    Teacher of President Obama

  • Frank Rose

    Foreign Policy Official

  • Nead Bunna

    Girls' Education Advocate

  • Samantha Power

    Ambassador to the United Nations

  • Sharon Pinder

    Minority Business Advocate

  • Raul Salinas

    Mayor of Laredo

  • Dennis Ross

    Foreign Policy Official

Esther Brimmer
Foreign Policy Official
462

Interviews

Explore oral histories in the collection.

Explore all interviews

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 more

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
    Building political support and friendships in the Chicago business community Valerie Jarrett
    02:13
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on attending President Obama's final State of the Union after marriage equality ruling Jim Obergefell
    02:51
  • go to the interview
    Reflections on the ambition of President Obama's first-term legislative agenda Rob Nabors
    05:47
  • go to the interview
    Planning and execution of President Obama's farewell tour Shailagh Murray
    02:23
  • go to the interview
    Decline of rural Black farmers and challenges in accessing resources and training Shirley Sherrod
    04:23
  • go to the interview
    Second meeting with Iran in Oman and the shift towards a more practical negotiation approach Jake Sullivan
    01:27
  • go to the interview
    Efforts to sustain US-Cuba policy changes during the Obama administration and challenges faced after the election Jefferey DeLaurentis
    07:30
  • go to the interview
    Proposal to move Obama's reelection campaign to Chicago and focus on technology Jim Messina
    02:18
  • go to the interview
    Comparing congressional opposition to climate legislation in the Clinton and Obama administrations Carol Browner
    03:44
  • go to the interview
    Impact of the Affordable Care Act on disaster preparedness and mental health services Nicole Lurie
    03:40
Explore all stories

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.

See more topics

Navigate

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



2009-17

Timeline
Map

Discover

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

Discover

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
See more news