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.

  • Elizabeth Brown

    White House Staff Secretary

  • Michael Kassen

    AIPAC President

  • Ellen Moran

    White House Communications Director

  • Reggie Love

    Personal Aide to Obama

  • Thomas Kalil

    Science and Technology Policy Official

  • Gina McCarthy

    EPA Administrator

  • Daniel Shomon

    Campaign Strategist and Political Aide

  • David Shulkin

    Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs

  • Rohit Kumar

    Congressional Policy Advisor

  • Jeanne Lambrew

    Health Policy Advisor

  • Angella Reid

    White House Usher

  • LaShana Lewis

    DEI Consultant and Advocate

  • Sandra Fluke

    Reproductive Health Advocate

  • Cecile Richards

    Planned Parenthood President

  • Beverly Daniel Tatum

    University President

  • Elizabeth Alexander

    Inaugural Poet

  • Frank Rose

    Foreign Policy Official

  • Tawakkol Karman

    Human Rights Activist

  • Thomas Tidwell

    Chief of the US Forest Service

  • Melanie Bahnke

    Alaska Native and Arctic Issues Advocate

Elizabeth Brown
White House Staff Secretary
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Interviews

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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.

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    Early activism and protests in Tahrir Square before the Arab Spring Tawakkol Karman
    09:45
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    Strategies for a successful presidential transition and the shift in focus during Obama's second term Yohannes Abraham
    09:51
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    Writing a letter to President Obama as a Mandela Washington Fellow Fatou Ba Ndiour
    06:32
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    Politics and challenges of the DREAM Act and DACA implementation Rebecca Tallent
    06:30
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    Reaction to a Guardian article on military mental health and public backlash Heather Linebaugh
    06:10
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    Influence of conversations with Andy Stern on tax and Social Security policy discussions David Cote
    01:02
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    Discussion on South Sudan's support for rebels and meeting with President Obama Johnnie Carson
    07:26
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    Learning of the Affordable Care Act passage and celebrating at the White House Jon Favreau
    02:44
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    Early labor policy changes and enforcement under President Obama Richard Trumka
    01:16
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    Introduction of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals during the 2012 campaign David Axelrod
    02:46
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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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