Eight years ago, history was made. Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American president of the United States, and our country began to chart a new course. Since then, the face of America is remarkably different than it was before; it’s more tolerant, loving and hopeful.
When Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009, America was experiencing the height of the Great Recession, engaged in two costly, devastating wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and health care coverage was inaccessible to millions of citizens.
The new president laid out bold, progressive policy prescriptions that aimed to allay the woes plaguing our country. For instance, when Americans were losing thousands of jobs because of the Great Recession, Obama’s stimulus programs poured money into transportation and infrastructure, to name a few. This created more jobs and boosted employment, allowing Obama to create or preserve an average of 1.6 million jobs over a period of four years.
Obama also passed the flawed but necessary Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, in his first term. This paved the way for millions to finally have fulfilling health insurance. This was a transformational move that will forever shape the way America approaches health care. No longer can a person be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition, nor will someone have to live without the security of health insurance. This president helped form the mindset that health care should be America’s moral obligation to its citizens, if not a right.
Obama repealed the official U.S. policy of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” which banned LGBTQ citizens from openly serving in the military. He also became an emphatic proponent of same-sex marriage, ordering the projection of rainbow colors onto the White House after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision compelling all states to recognize same-sex marriage, making it the law of the land. This was, in the president’s words, “a victory for America.”
In addition to Obama’s numerous domestic policy strides, he had a prolific effect on foreign policy. Those two costly, devastating wars have now been reduced to a more measured one in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden, the architect of the devastating attack on Sept. 11, 2001, has been eliminated. The President also entered the United States into the historic Paris Agreement, which aimed to combat climate change by forming a global consensus to truncate carbon pollution and set the world on a low-carbon path.
So, Obama has done just about everything you would traditionally expect from a president — except engage in any major scandals. During a recent interview on “60 Minutes,” Steve Kroft asked Obama about the effect he has had on Washington.
“I’m proud of the fact that, with two weeks to go, we’re probably the first administration in modern history that hasn’t had a major scandal in the White House. In that sense, we changed some things,” the former president said.
Obama has had some rather significant accomplishments. Through his policies and personality, he not only elevated the perception of the Democratic Party, attracting more people to it, but he also elevated the perception of the presidency and America.
Even in the midst of tumultuous times, Obama remained calm, cool and collected.
When he had to announce the devastating news of a mass shooting, he did so with eloquence, doing his best to heal the hearts of a nation ravished by senseless gun violence. When Congress refused to act on important legislation, he spoke in measured, pragmatic terms to urge cooperation.
But there’s something else Obama did that few presidents have done before. He inspired generations of young people to become impassioned leaders in their community. He dared us to dream and to believe in ourselves and our ideas. He gave us a more optimistic view of the world, which once looked unbearably grim.
If you grew up middle class with two parents, a quality education, food on the table and few worries, you may not understand what Obama’s presidency meant to someone like me. I am from a single-parent home and was able to see a man who looked like me serve in the most respected and powerful position in the world. This is what Obama did for millions of minority boys and girls.
For me, it was Obama’s awe-inspiring oratory that I found especially captivating. Each time I listen to one of his speeches, I become even more enamored by him and his story. This president made me want to achieve more academically, speak well, dress nicely, have someone by my side who is as intelligent as they are beautiful and be a positive role model to my family and friends. He made me care about my planet and have a willingness to consider the long-term implications of my actions. He made it clear that it was OK to be smart and cool; his swagger and style as he strutted down the Cross Hall to announce major news or hopped off Air Force One was impeccable. In short, he made me want to be a leader.
By nearly every measure, Obama has proved to be a transformational president and human being. He hasn’t been perfect — no one is, and no one ever will be — but Obama may be a stone’s throw away from it. I know many will find that debatable, but you cannot deny the profound impact he has had on the direction of this country and lives of so many.
So, thank you, Obama. You began a campaign on hope, change and a belief in the promise of America, and you delivered. You said “Yes we can,” and yes, we did.
Frederick Bell is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from Greensburg, Louisiana.