Former Obama White House staff reflects on serving America’s first Black president

Share

Explore Our Galleries

A man stands in front of the Djingareyber mosque on February 4, 2016 in Timbuktu, central Mali. 
Mali's fabled city of Timbuktu on February 4 celebrated the recovery of its historic mausoleums, destroyed during an Islamist takeover of northern Mali in 2012 and rebuilt thanks to UN cultural agency UNESCO.
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SEBASTIEN RIEUSSEC / AFP / SÉBASTIEN RIEUSSEC
African Peoples Before Captivity
Shackles from Slave Ship Henrietta Marie
Kidnapped: The Middle Passage
Enslaved family picking cotton
Nearly Three Centuries Of Enslavement
Image of the first black members of Congress
Reconstruction: A Brief Glimpse of Freedom
The Lynching of Laura Nelson_May_1911 200x200
One Hundred Years of Jim Crow
Civil Rights protest in Alabama
I Am Somebody! The Struggle for Justice
Black Lives Matter movement
NOW: Free At Last?
#15-Beitler photo best TF reduced size
Memorial to the Victims of Lynching
hands raised black background
The Freedom-Lovers’ Roll Call Wall
Frozen custard in Milwaukee's Bronzeville
Special Exhibits
Dr. James Cameron
Portraiture of Resistance

Breaking News!

Today's news and culture by Black and other reporters in the Black and mainstream media.

Ways to Support ABHM?

By Gerren Keith Gaynor, theGrio

Former President Barack Obama speaks at a rally to support Michigan democratic candidates in 2018. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Former President Barack Obama, who turned 61 on Aug. 4, remains a luminary figure in politics. His former staff tells theGrio that his legacy will forever be marked in history.

Not only did he make history as America’s first Black president, inspiring a multiracial and multi-generational coalition of supporters, but he also famously delivered the landmark legislation best known by the moniker with his namesake—Obamacare—providing affordable health care for millions of uninsured Americans.

But for those who worked closely with the 44th president of the United States—namely his Black staff—the Obama presidency meant so much more than simply getting the chance to work inside “The People’s House.” TheGrio was able to connect with several former staffers of the Obama White House, who reflected on Obama’s legacy and what it meant to them to serve the nation’s first African-American commander in chief.

Reflecting on the political rise of Barack Obama during his first presidential run, Deesha Dyer, who served as White House social secretary, told theGrio, “I think for the first time, many people who were turned off by politics or just didn’t know about politics were engaged and excited about President Obama’s campaign and later, presidency.” 

Read about Dyer’s and others’ experiences in the White House.

Unfortunately, half of Americans felt race relations worsened during Obama’s time in office, perhaps in part because of racist anti-Obama protests.

More breaking news here.

Comments Are Welcome

Note: We moderate submissions in order to create a space for meaningful dialogue, a space where museum visitors – adults and youth –– can exchange informed, thoughtful, and relevant comments that add value to our exhibits.

Racial slurs, personal attacks, obscenity, profanity, and SHOUTING do not meet the above standard. Such comments are posted in the exhibit Hateful Speech. Commercial promotions, impersonations, and incoherent comments likewise fail to meet our goals, so will not be posted. Submissions longer than 120 words will be shortened.

See our full Comments Policy here.

Leave a Comment