Speeches of Barack Obama facts for kids

Barack Obama giving an important speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States. He served from 2009 to 2017. Before becoming president, he was a senator in Illinois from 1997 to 2004. Then, he became a U.S. Senator from 2005 to 2008.

He first gained national attention during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. He gave a special speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in 2004. In that speech, he said, "there is not a liberal America and a conservative America—there is the United States of America." Just three years later, Obama decided to run for president. During his campaign, he gave another important speech called "A More Perfect Union." This speech talked about race in America and was a key moment in his campaign.

Obama was elected president in 2008 and won re-election in 2012. He gave many speeches during his time as president. These included speeches to Congress, speeches after winning elections, a speech to the Muslim world in Egypt, and a speech after a shooting involving Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.

In 2017, a book called We Are The Change We Seek was published. It was a collection of some of Obama's most important speeches.

Keynote Speech at the Democratic Convention, 2004

Barack Obama gave the main speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention (DNC). This happened on July 27, 2004. At the time, he was an Illinois State Senator and running for the United States Senate. His big win in the Illinois U.S. Senate primary election in March 2004 made him a rising star. People even started talking about him possibly running for president one day. This also led to his book, Dreams from My Father, being re-released. His speech at the convention was very well-received. It made him even more popular and helped his book become a bestseller.

Obama met the Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, in the spring of 2004. Obama was one of several people considered to give the keynote speech. In early July, he found out he was chosen. Obama mostly wrote the speech himself. The Kerry campaign later made some small changes. He gave the speech on the second night of the DNC. It lasted just under 20 minutes. The speech shared parts of Obama's life story. It also shared his ideas for America and why he supported John Kerry for president.

Unlike many other convention speeches, this one was not shown on major TV networks. About 9 million people watched it on channels like PBS, cable news, and C-SPAN. Since then, experts have studied the speech. They looked at the stories it told and how it talked about bringing people of different races together.

"A More Perfect Union" Speech, 2008

"A More Perfect Union" was a speech given by Senator Barack Obama on March 18, 2008. He gave it during his campaign to become the Democratic presidential nominee. Obama spoke at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. He was responding to attention on some difficult comments made by Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Wright was Obama's former pastor and had been part of his campaign.

Obama used his speech to talk about the bigger issue of race in the United States. The speech's title came from the Preamble to the United States Constitution.

Obama talked about racial tensions and white privilege. He discussed the feelings of anger among black people and resentment among white people. He tried to explain Wright's comments in a broader way. His speech ended with a call for Americans to move past racial disagreements. He urged everyone to work together on shared problems.

On March 27, 2008, the Pew Research Center said the speech was "arguably the biggest political event of the campaign so far." They noted that 85 percent of Americans had heard about it. Many people believed the speech helped Obama become president.

Winning the Election Speech, 2008

After winning the 2008 United States presidential election, President-elect Barack Obama gave his victory speech. It was on November 4, 2008, at Grant Park in his home city of Chicago. About 240,000 people were there. Millions more watched on TV and online around the world. Obama's speech focused on the big challenges facing the U.S. and the world. He often repeated his campaign slogan of change. He also remembered his grandmother, who had passed away two nights before.

Speech to Congress, 2009 (February)

Obama speaking to the United States Congress.

President Barack Obama gave a speech to a joint meeting of the 111th United States Congress on February 24, 2009. This was not an official State of the Union address. His first State of the Union Address was in 2010. He spoke in the room where the United States House of Representatives meets, inside the United States Capitol. The House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, led this joint meeting. The President of the United States Senate, Joe Biden, who was also the Vice President of the United States, was with her.

President Obama talked about the recently passed $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. He also discussed the Troubled Assets Relief Program, the economy, and the future of the country.

"A New Beginning" Speech, 2009

"A New Beginning" is the name of a speech President Barack Obama gave on June 4, 2009. He spoke from Cairo University in Egypt. Al-Azhar University also helped host the event. This speech kept a promise Obama made during his presidential campaign. He had promised to give a major speech to Muslims from a Muslim capital early in his presidency.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Egypt was chosen because it "represents the heart of the Arab world." Egypt is important in the Middle East peace process. It also receives a lot of aid from America. News reporter Ross Colvin said the speech aimed to fix relations between the United States and the Muslim world. These relations were "severely damaged" during the presidency of George W. Bush.

Speech to Congress on Healthcare, 2009 (September)

President Barack Obama talked about his plan for health care reform. He gave this speech to a joint meeting of the 111th United States Congress on September 9, 2009. He spoke in the United States House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the meeting. She was joined by the President of the United States Senate, Joe Biden, who was the Vice President of the United States.

State of the Union Address, 2010

President Obama giving the State of the Union speech to the United States Congress. Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are behind him.

President Barack Obama gave the 2010 State of the Union Address on January 27, 2010. He spoke to a joint meeting of Congress. It was shown on all major TV networks. This was Obama's first official State of the Union Address. He had given a similar speech to Congress in 2009, a month after becoming president.

The speech took place in the United States House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol. As always, the leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives sat behind the president. These were Vice President Joe Biden (as Senate President) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The main idea of Obama's speech was "Rescue, Rebuild, Restore – a New Foundation for Prosperity." He talked about creating jobs and reducing the national debt.

Tucson Memorial Speech, 2011

President Barack Obama gave a speech at the Together We Thrive: Tucson and America memorial. This event was on January 12, 2011, at the University of Arizona.

The speech honored the victims of the 2011 Tucson shooting. It focused on healing and bringing the country together. More than 30 million Americans watched it. The speech received a lot of praise from politicians and commentators everywhere.

State of the Union Address, 2011

The 2011 State of the Union Address was given by President Barack Obama on January 25, 2011. He spoke in the United States House of Representatives chamber. In this speech, Obama shared his ideas for America's future. He wanted an America that is more determined and competitive. He aimed for a country that "out-innovates, we out-educate, we out-build the rest of the world." He also talked about taking responsibility for national debt and improving government.

State of the Union Address, 2012

The 2012 State of the Union Address was given by President Barack Obama on January 24, 2012. He spoke in the United States House of Representatives chamber. In his speech, he focused on improving education. He also talked about fixing America's roads and bridges using money saved from the Iraq War. Another key topic was creating new energy sources in America.

Speech on Human Trafficking, 2012

Barack Obama gave a speech to the Clinton Global Initiative on September 25, 2012. The speech was about human trafficking. Obama called it "modern slavery." He said he did not use the word "slavery" lightly. He knew it brought up painful memories of past forms of slavery in the United States. In the speech, he told his administration to fight human trafficking more strongly. He also encouraged people to create new technology to help stop it. He specifically asked college students for their help.

"Trayvon Martin Could Have Been Me" Speech, 2013

On July 19, 2013, President Obama gave a special speech. It replaced the usual White House daily briefing. In his 17-minute speech, President Obama talked about how people reacted to the end of the George Zimmerman trial. He also spoke about racial profiling and the state of race relations in the United States. News networks widely covered the speech. It made headlines across the country.

Six days after George Zimmerman was found not guilty, Obama said, "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago." This phrase became the most quoted part of the speech. This speech was a big moment for Barack Obama. He had usually avoided talking about racial tensions during his presidency. During his remarks, President Obama spoke about many African-American men who have experienced racial profiling. He included himself in this group.

There are very few African American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me—at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.

President Obama also talked about "stand-your-ground" laws. He wondered if Trayvon Martin had been armed, he might have legally stood his ground and shot George Zimmerman because he felt threatened. Because of this unclear situation, Obama suggested that such laws should be looked at more closely.

Speech at the Lincoln Memorial, 2013

On August 28, 2013, a special event took place. It marked 50 years since the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It also celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. President Barack Obama was one of the speakers. John Lewis, who was the only speaker from the original 1963 rally still living, also spoke.

Selma Anniversary Speech, 2015

Obama spoke on the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery marches. He praised everyday Americans who fought for fairness and justice. Michael Gerson, a speechwriter for George W. Bush, said this speech "falls into the category of speeches that every child should read in school." The Washington Post also said it would be one of Obama's most remembered speeches.

Eulogy for Clementa Pinckney, 2015

After the Charleston church shooting, nine people were killed by a white supremacist. One of them was state senator Clementa C. Pinckney. Obama went to the College of Charleston to give eulogy for Senator Pinckney]. In his speech, he also talked about bigger issues like race relations and civil rights in the United States. During the speech, Obama sang "Amazing Grace" with the emotional crowd. A part of this song from his speech was later used by the British band Coldplay in their album "A Head Full of Dreams".

Address to the Nation, 2015

On December 6, 2015, after a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, Obama gave a live Address to the Nation]. He spoke from the Oval Office. In his speech, he said the shooting was an act of terrorism. He described the attackers as having "gone down the dark path of radicalization." He also said they followed a "perverted version of Islam." Obama stated that "the threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it." He promised that the United States would "destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us."

Obama also talked about the ongoing fight against ISIL. This included U.S. airstrikes, stopping their money, and special operations. He urged Americans not to be afraid. This was only the third speech from the Oval Office during Obama's seven years as president.

Hiroshima Speech, 2016

On May 27, 2016, Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to visit Hiroshima. This city was bombed by the U.S. in 1945. He gave a speech at the Hiroshima Peace Park. A small group of about 100 people listened. This group included hibakusha, who are survivors of the atomic bomb. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe also gave a speech after Obama.

Democratic National Convention, 2016

President Obama hugging Hillary Clinton.

In one of his last major speeches as president, Obama strongly supported Hillary Clinton. She was the Democratic nominee for president. He said, "there has never been a man or woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton. Not me, not Bill, nobody!" Obama compared his and Clinton's hopeful view of America with that of Republican nominee Donald Trump. He called Trump's view "deeply pessimistic." Obama argued that Trump was not ready for the job. He also said Trump was trying to use fear to get elected.

After the speech, Clinton came onto the stage. She hugged Obama, who had been her rival in the 2008 primary election.

Campaign Speeches for Hillary Clinton, 2016

People waiting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to hear Obama speak.

Barack Obama gave eighteen speeches to support the Clinton Campaign. Many of these were in important states like North Carolina and New Hampshire. His last speech for the campaign was at a rally in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. This was on November 7, 2016, the day before Election Day.

Farewell Speech, 2017

Barack Obama gave a farewell speech as his presidency ended. He talked about many things his administration had achieved. He also thanked the American people for their hard work and said they would continue to do great things.

H.B.C.U. Commencement Speech, 2020

On May 16, 2020, Obama gave a virtual graduation speech. It was for about 27,000 students from 78 historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). He told them, "You've got more tools, technology, and talents than my generation did. No generation has been better positioned to be warriors for justice and remake the world."

Images for kids

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  President Obama giving the State of the Union speech to the United States Congress. Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are behind him.

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  President Obama hugging Hillary Clinton.

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  People waiting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to hear Obama speak.