Barack Obama

+## Early life

+Born in [Honolulu](/wiki/Honolulu), [Hawaii](/wiki/Hawaii), on August 4, 1961, Barack Hussein Obama II spent his early years living with his mother, Ann Dunham, and his maternal grandparents. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was a Kenyan economist. After his parents divorced, Obama lived for several years in [Jakarta](/wiki/Jakarta), [Indonesia](/wiki/Indonesia), with his mother and stepfather before returning to Hawaii for high school. He later attended [Columbia University](/wiki/Columbia_University) and [Harvard Law School](/wiki/Harvard_School), where he was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review.

+## Pre-presidency political career

+Obama began his career as a [community organizer](/wiki/Community_organizer) in [Chicago](/wiki/Chicago), working to address urban poverty. After graduating from law school, he worked as a [civil rights](/wiki/Civil_rights) attorney and lectured on [constitutional law](/wiki/Constitutional_law) at the University of Chicago Law School. His political career began in 1997 when he was elected to the [Illinois State Senate](/wiki/Illinois_State_Senate). In 2004, he gained national prominence with a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, which propelled him to win a seat in the [U.S. Senate](/wiki/U.S._Senate) later that year, representing Illinois.

+## First term

+Barack Obama is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the [United States](/wiki/United_States). A figure of historic change, he was the first [African American](/wiki/African_American) to hold the nation's highest office, ushering in an era of progress and inspiration.

+## See also

+- [Presidency](/wiki/Presidency)

+- [Politics](/wiki/Politics)

+- [Democracy](/wiki/Democracy)