Obama’s Political Beginnings
In Obama’s Political Beginnings, historian Simon Schama explains how before Barack Obama was president, he worked to organize laid off factory workers in the South Side of Chicago. As a community organizer, Obama learned how to build alliances and the importance of being at the table. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Obama’s America, in which Simon Schama examines the challenges faced by Barack Obama on the world stage and at home.
Lesson Express
Q: What was Obama’s first community organizing experience?
A: He worked with laid off steelworkers in the South Side of Chicago.
Q: What did others notice about Obama?
A: He was gentle and powerful at the same time; he was not combative; he wanted to work through alliances.
Q: What does it mean to be “at the table”?
A: It means that they had to go to where decisions were being made to have an impact and make change.
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