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Quote by Barack Obama

“I get letters from [people getting insurance] right now. "You saved my child's life." "I did not have to sell my home when my wife got sick." And that is what, as a policy maker, I'm trying to achieve during the short period of time that I'm here.”

Quote by Barack Obama

Author

Barack Obama, born on August 4, 1961, served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama's presidency was marked by significant achievements, including the Affordable Care Act and the normalization of relations with Cuba. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. more

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“Sometimes I wonder how much of these debates have to do with the desire, the legitimate desire, for that history to be recognized. Because there is a psychic power to the recognition that is not satisfied with a universal program, it's not satisfied by the Affordable Care Act, or an expansion of Pell grants, or an expansion of the earned-income tax credit.”

“I think, the argument sometimes that I've had with folks who are much more interested in sort of race-specific programs is less an argument about what is practically achievable and sometimes maybe more an argument of "We want society to see what's happened, and internalize it, and answer it in demonstrable ways." And those impulses I very much understand.”

Thinking Way Want Sometimes Answers Race Happened Program Argument Folks Impulse

Author:Barack Obama

“My hope would be that, as we're moving through the world right now, we're able to get that psychological or emotional peace by seeing very concretely our kids doing better and being more hopeful and having greater opportunities.”

World Would Be Kids Able Moving Opportunity Greater Seeing Emotional Right Now Psychological Hopeful

Author:Barack Obama

“There is a certain percentage of the white population ... if they started having more middle-class black kids who are friends with their kids, eating Cheerios in their kitchen, their attitudes start changing.”

Ifs Kids Certain Black White Attitude Class Middle Eating Population Kitchen Middle Class Percentages

Author:Barack Obama

“This is why the anti-discrimination principle being enforced is important. Because it won't stop if some of the underlying biases aren't challenged and surfaced. And that in and of itself creates backlash and denial. This is what I mean when I say better is hard.”

Ifs Mean Important Hard Principles Discrimination Denial Backlash Anti Discrimination

Author:Barack Obama

“I remember when I was in Chicago and data started coming out that when black folks walk into an auto dealership, and women, too, to some degree, they are automatically given higher quotes, worse deals. And this was just documented extensively across auto dealerships around the country. There was a tax being imposed on black folks. By collecting that data, you can construct policies to combat that.”

Country Remember Given Black Walks Deals Policy Higher Taxes Degrees Folks Data Chicago Combat Coming Out Constructs Remember When Collecting

Author:Barack Obama

“My conviction is that those fights need to be fought right now and can be won. And if in fact we have finite political capital, energy, resources, we need to win those fights.”

Ifs Needs Facts Political Fighting Winning Energy Right Now Resources Conviction Finite

Author:Barack Obama

“If we win all those fights, and now let's say the income gap, and the wealth gap, and the education gap have for the most part been closed - let's say hypothetically, , first of all, America as a whole would be a lot richer.”

Ifs Firsts Whole Would Be America Fighting Winning Wealth Income Gaps

Author:Barack Obama

“We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.”

Action Political Culture Language Communication Diversity Social Justice English Language Few Words Words And Actions Language Words Language And Communication Languages Communication

Book:The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784

Source: The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784

“Let's say hypothetically, knowing what we know now about public policy, that we could close the education gap so that it was only a couple percentage points, and we could make sure that hiring barriers and educational barriers had been leveled down, and unemployment among African Americans right now instead of being double was only 10 percent higher than white unemployment - if we got to that point , America as a whole would be a lot richer.”

Ifs Knows Whole Would Be America White Knowing Policy Couple Higher Right Now Percent Down And Educational African American Barriers Gaps Unemployment Percentages Hiring Public Policy

Author:Barack Obama