BARACK OBAMA update

Hi there, Thirteen years ago today, I signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law.  The night the ACA passed was one of the most meaningful moments of my career, because we knew the ACA would have a profound impact on the lives of millions of people. Over a decade later, the law that became known as “ObamaCare” is still expanding and helping more Americans access quality, affordable health care.  Since 2010, the ACA has provided nearly 36 million Americans access to health care, expanded Medicaid to 40 states to cover 21 million low-income adults under 65, and protected as many as 133 million people with pre-existing conditions from losing their health insurance. Each of these Americans has a story of how access to health care changed their life, in big ways or small. In honor of today’s anniversary, the Obama Foundation is collecting stories that demonstrate the very real impact of the ACA.  If you would like to share how the ACA affected your life or the life of a loved one, please add your story here.     Thank you for helping us mark this anniversary. –Barack     Donate to empower rising leaders bringing hope to their communities. DONATE

Hi there, We’re guided by the belief that ordinary people working together can change history. This idea inspires us to empower and connect the next generation of changemakers. On Obama.org, we highlight the work of our leaders and share defining moments of President Obama’s career. Here is a round up of a few inspiring stories to give you a midweek pick-me-up. Read on to see what you’ve missed on Obama.org:     “A MORE PERFECT UNION” SPEECH ANNIVERSARY     Fifteen years ago, then-Senator Obama delivered a personal and honest speech on race titled “A More Perfect Union.”  The speech came during one of the most heated moments of the 2008 campaign, when videos began circulating of old sermons that Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, had given denouncing the United States government.  After it was finished, many commentators noted they’d never seen a politician speak so eloquently on race, and it offered a preview of the direct and open manner in which Barack Obama would overcome the challenges he would face as president. Read Valerie Jarrett’s full blogpost about the speech here.     GROUNDBREAKERS PROFILE: CRYSTAL MOTEN   Credit: Maurice L. Bland  For Women's History Month, we’re sharing the stories of the women behind the Obama Presidential Center and recently highlighted the work of Dr. Crystal Moten, the Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Obama Presidential Center Museum. Crystal grew up on the South Side and has returned home to head up the team researching and collecting historical artifacts related to the life and political journey of President and Mrs. Obama. Read the full Q&A here to learn more about Crystal and her work.     OBAMA ALUMNI PROFILE: DEVIN HAMPTON   Devin Hampton is an Obama alum and current CEO of UtilityAPI who set out to address the lack of diversity in his industry in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder.  Devin co-founded the initiative Empowering Diversity Climate Talent (EDICT) to create a diverse pipeline for climate-focused organizations, with the goal of fostering inclusive workplace cultures while expanding the network development of rising leaders from minority backgrounds. Read the full Q&A to learn how Devin’s experience in the Obama Administration shapes his work.     We look forward to bringing you more inspirational stories and memories from President Obama’s presidency in future editions of ICYMI. In the meantime, visit Obama.org to check out more of our work.  – The Obama Foundation     Donate to empower rising leaders bringing hope to their communities. DONATE