The Audacity of Hope

Barack Hussein Obama (1961–) is possibly the most famous black man in all American history. In 2004 he was the sole black Senator in Congress when he gave the keynote speech at the Democratic Party convention that launched him as a national figure. Four years later he was elected the first black President of the United States, a position to which he was re-elected in 2012. In the excerpt from The Audacity of Hope, published in 2006, Obama discusses race in America, acknowledging earlier civil rights leaders and making it clear how he has personally experienced the daily struggle of being black in the United States.

Read more in Access to English: Social Studies, pp. 415-417. Then do the tasks in the textbook and on this website.

Barack Obama celebrates with his family after winning the presidential election of 2012. (NTB Scanpix) Barack Obama celebrates with his family after winning the presidential election of 2012. (NTB Scanpix)