All stories

A dozen young men with a range of light to dark skin tones touch the Baobab tree, at Cais do Valongo—the largest slave trade site in Rio. This tree stands as a symbol of resistance, at the site where many people were trafficked and enslaved.
  • MBK Alliance
  • Youth
MBKA youth explore leadership and culture in Brazil through global exchange PHOTO ESSAY

See how eight young men from Chicago and Newark gain leadership skills and cultural insight during MBKA's exchange program in Brazil.

Learn more
On a rooftop, four young men with a range of medium and dark skin tones pose for a photo. They are all wearing navy suit jackets, khaki pants, and blue and khaki ties.
  • MBK Alliance
  • Community Engagement
MBK Alliance youth explore leadership and culture in Brazil
Learn more
Brenda, a young Kenyan girl with a dark skin tone, wears a white Moving the Goalposts t-shirt and poses while holding a soccer ball.
  • Youth
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
Building girls’ skills and confidence on and off the soccer field in Kenya

Watch how Moving the Goalposts is empowering girls through soccer with support from the Girls Opportunity Alliance.

Learn more
A headshot of Michael Hawthorne Jr. Michael has medium dark skin, short dark curly hair, and a gray and black goatee. He is wearing a dark blue blazer and looking directly into the camera.
  • Presidential History
  • Sustainability
Meet three Obama alumni working to create a more sustainable future

Take a look at three alumni advocating for a greener, cleaner climate across different sectors

Learn more
missing
  • Leaders
  • Your Voice
Ask a Leader Q&A with Katie and Gold

This Earth Day, learn from two of our Leaders who are working every day to protect the one planet we’ve got!

Learn more
President Obama shoots a basketball into a hoop. He is dressed professionally and is on the White House Basketball court. A White House logo is on the base of the basketball hoop.
  • MBK Alliance
  • Youth
Young leaders from MBK Alliance gain real-world experience at the Final Four

Meet the MBK Alliance youth attending the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.

Learn more
A group of women fisheries pose for a photo at the 2023 National Women in Fisheries Forum. All women are a range of light to dark skin tones and are dressed in bright garb and patterns. Alani Tuivucilevu is on her knees in the far left wearing purple attire.
  • Education
  • Scholars
Obama Scholar empowers women fishers in Fiji through servant leadership

Discover how Alani uses servant leadership to empower women fishers across Fiji and the Pacific Islands economically.

Learn more
President Obama sits at a desk signing the Affordable Care Act, surrounded by a group of politicians, then Vice President Joe Biden, and a young boy.
  • Presidential History
  • Alumni
Five Obama Alum carrying on the legacy of the Affordable Care Act

Get to know a few Obama alums changing the landscape of health care across the globe

Learn more
Eight young men with a range of medium to dark skin tones play basketball on a black basketball court. Photo Credit: Lucas Kult-Banourt
  • MBK Alliance
  • Obama Picks
President Obama’s 2025 March Madness picks

March Madness is here—and we’re excited to continue our annual tradition of sharing President Obama’s Brackets. Check it out.

Learn more
Erin Barnett helps a young Black girl in a leotard with her dance position as she holds onto the freestanding ballet barre.
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
  • Chicago
Meet Erin, founder of Black Girls Dance in Chicago

Discover how dance empowers girls on stage, in leadership, and in life.

Learn more
Two Black women leaders with a range of light to dark skin tones are dressed in pink and green Jumping Juniors-branded attire holding a jump rope inside a studio.
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
  • Chicago
Unlocking girls’ potential through Double Dutch

Discover how Jumping Juniors empowers girls through Double Dutch jump rope with support from the Girls Opportunity Alliance.

Learn more
The First Family walks with Congressman John Lewis, Reverend Al Sharpton, and marchers from the initial Selma marches to the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
  • Presidential History
  • Building the Center
Meet the photographer who captured President Obama’s 50th anniversary visit to Selma, AL
Learn more
Two bluish purple inverted triangles of wall substructure look to be wedged into the ground on the north face of Home Court, hinting at the shape of the metal panels that will eventually cover this part of the building, and the shape of glass walls between the wedges. In the foreground concrete angular and curved support walls and railings, and contours of geofoam span the landscape where the playground and part of the great lawn will eventually be.
  • Building the Center
  • Chicago
Construction update Feb. 2025: Home Court at the OPC takes shape

Get a peek at the basketball hoop-shaped exterior wedge walls.

Learn more
A graphic of the USA shows the states where all 18 ambassadors live. The states are highlighted in orange and tell the cities.
  • MBK Alliance
  • Programs
Meet 18 young MBK Ambassadors

Learn how they're building safe and supportive communities where boys and young men of color can thrive

Learn more
A tall, concrete and stone building under construction towers high into the sky. Scaffolding and a crane can be seen on the sides.
  • Building the Center
  • Chicago
Construction update Jan. 2025: Glass and granite continue to climb

The Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center was topped out —which means the steel skeleton of the building is complete!

Learn more
Robert Diamond, a man with a light skin tone smiles at the camera. He is wearing a suit and is standing at the White House.
  • Alumni
  • Changemakers
The act that improved mental health service for veterans

Explore the impact of the Clay Hunt Act a decade after its passage, as told by an Obama alumni

Learn more
A large concrete building under construction towers ahead. Burnt-orange scaffolding can be seen running from the bottom to the top, many stories high.
  • Building the Center
  • Chicago
Construction update Nov. 2024: steel, stone, and art

Get a peek at the steel framing for the athletics facility, museum building stone installation and an update on the latest artwork.

Learn more
An exterior shot of Studio Yogi. A banner outside the building reads, “Studio Yogi.”
  • Community Engagement
  • Chicago
South Side yoga studio fosters wellness and community

Julia Perkins founded Studio Yogi to make wellness accessible for all. Here’s how!

Learn more
A young Black girl wearing a blue Project Exploration shirt raises her hand in a classroom lab setting as her instructor looks on.
  • Equality
  • Community Engagement
Bridging the gap in STEM education for girls in Chicago

See how Project Exploration creates dynamic STEM learning opportunities for girls on the West Side of Chicago.

Learn more
Sameera, a woman with a medium skin tone and black hair, sits on a panel at Harvard University with four others. She sits in the middle and holds a microphone. A sign in the background reads, “Obama Foundation: Ethical and Values-Based Leadership for Global Entreprenuers.” An audience is in front of them.
  • Community Engagement
  • Leaders
Obama Leaders Alumni pay it forward, guiding a new generation

These Obama Leaders alumni are giving back, mentoring new cohorts, and proving that leadership doesn’t end—it evolves.

Learn more
A visual explanation of The Obama Foundation brand motif featuring lines, color, font, and symbols.
  • Building the Center
  • Education
Building on the past, looking ahead

As the Obama Presidential Center prepares to open its doors in 2026, our brand identity enters a new chapter.

Learn more
President Obama extends his hand as he stands behind a podium. On the podium is a sign that reads, “BarackObama.com” and features the Obama rising sun logo. The Illinois State Capitol building is in the background.
  • Presidential History
  • The Obama Administration
18 Years of Hope: The Evolution of the Obama Legacy

A look back at the beginning of President Obama’s candidacy as we celebrate what’s to come at the Obama Presidential Center

Learn more
Two girl-serving leaders smile as they share notes during the Alliance’s Chicago convening. Both have medium dark skin tones and are wearing pink blazers with attendee credentials.
  • Equality
  • Community Engagement
Girls Opportunity Alliance brings together over 80 girl-serving leaders in Chicago

See how the Girls Opportunity Alliance brings together leaders from across Chicago for connection and capacity building.

Learn more
Obama Leaders and Scholars alumni from across Asia-Pacific who gathered in Bangkok, Thailand to reunite as a community and grow leadership skills.
  • Leaders
  • Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific leaders reunite in Bangkok

Leaders from across Asia-Pacific gathered in Bangkok to share insights, grow skills, and foster collaboration within the Obama Leadership Network.

Learn more
A group of young Black girls wearing dance leotards pose for a photo against a purple background.
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
  • Watch
Girls Opportunity Alliance helps girls in Chicago gain greater access to the arts

See how Praize Productions, Inc. nurtures girls’ talent, self-expression, and life skills through performing arts.

Learn more
Dechen, a young Nepali girl with a medium skin tone, draws stars on paper with a yellow case of colored pencils. She is wearing a purple dress, and her chin-length black hair is held with a purple clip.
  • Watch
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
Dechen’s story

Learn how the Girls Opportunity Alliance helps educate and empower the next generation of Nepali girls.

Learn more
A young girl, Mosa, sits at a classroom desk with a laptop branded with “Beyond the Classroom Initiative” and two girls sitting behind her. She wears a gray blouse and has her braided hair tied up with a purple hair-tie
  • Watch
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
Mosa’s story

Watch how the Girls Opportunity Alliance helps close the gender gap in STEM through digital literacy training for girls.

Learn more
Uyen, a young Vietnamese girl with a medium skin tone, poses with a pink bicycle. She is wearing a school uniform with a white collared shirt, navy skirt and pink backpack. Mountains and flower fields are pictured in the background.
  • Watch
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
Uyen’s story

Learn how the Girls Opportunity Alliance helps address transportation barriers and safety for girls in Vietnam.

Learn more
Nimon, a young Kenyan woman, sits at a table with a notebook and pen in hand. She is wearing a black blazer and blouse, with shelves of books pictured behind her.
  • Watch
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
Nimon’s story

Learn how the Girls Opportunity Alliance helps adolescent girls in Kenya access high-quality education and holistic support.

Learn more
Judith Godfrey, a young Tanzanian woman with a dark skin tone, poses in a classroom with her arms crossed. She wears a black dress with blue flowers and has short hair.
  • Watch
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
Judith’s story

Watch how the Girls Opportunity Alliance supports education access for adolescent girls in Tanzania.

Learn more
Photo Credit: Blue Chalk Media “Firebreak” An aerial view of firefighters digging into the ground. All have a range of light to dark skin tones. They are outdoors and dressed in firefighter protective gear and black hard hats.
  • Take Action
  • Leaders
Obama Leader fights fires and changes lives

Discover how Royal Ramey’s Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program transforms lives, trains firefighters, and combats California’s wildfire crisis.

Learn more
President Obama smiles as he listens to a Black male with a deep skin tone rap from his phone. He is wearing glasses and a neon green cap. Two males with deep skin tones are in the background.
  • Obama Picks
  • The Arts
President Obama’s favorite films, books, and music of 2024

From books and movies to music, explore the stories and art that inspired President Obama in 2024.

Learn more
A boy with dark skin tone smiles as he holds a certificate and shakes hands with an almond-skin toned man.
  • Programs
  • Youth
The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance 2024 year in review

As we close out this exciting, impact-filled year, we wanted to share some of our favorite memories.

Learn more
A group of people with a range of light to dark skin tones pose in front of a banner that reads, “Bring Change Home.”
  • Building the Center
  • Equality
2024 year in review
Learn more
President Obama sits in a semi circle with Obama Scholars. All are dressed professionally and have a range of light to dark skin tones. Yellow and blue signs are in the background that read, “Obama Foundation Scholars.”
  • Defending Democracy
  • Virtual Event
Ways to embrace pluralism in your daily connections

A 5-step guide to embracing pluralism, fostering connection, and engaging inclusively this holiday season.

Learn more
Joséphine Goube, a tall woman with a light skin tone and dark hair, smiles as she faces an audience. She is wearing a tan blazer and white top. Behind her is a sign that reads, “Sistech.”
  • Scholars
  • Changemakers
How one Obama Scholar promotes pluralism through her work with refugee women

Hear from Joséphine Goube on how her nonprofit, Sistech, helps foster connections between refugee women and professionals, breaking stereotypes and building mutual understanding

Learn more
undefined
An illustration of four people with a range of light to deep skin tones lifting one another up on top of a paper plane. The background is pink.

Sign up for the latest on the Obama Foundation

Get the latest news and updates by signing up for Obama Foundation emails. (All fields required.)