Barack Obama
Obama in 2015, photo by Prphotos
Birth Name: Barack Hussein Obama II
Place of Birth: Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 4, 1961
Ethnicity:
*father – Luo Kenyan
*mother – English, small amounts of Scottish, Irish, German, Welsh, Swiss-German, French Huguenot, possibly remote African
Barack Obama is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 44th President of the United States, from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017. He was elected to the position in 2008 and 2012. He was previously a Member of the Illinois Senate, from January 8, 1997 to November 4, 2004, and a U.S. Senator from Illinois, from January 3, 2005 to November 16, 2008. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2009. Barack Obama is the first person of significant African descent to have served as President of the United States. He is also the only person born in the 1960s to have won a major party’s presidential caucus and/or primary, and the only U.S. President born after the 1940s (thus far).
He was Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2008 and 2012.
President Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. His father was black and his mother was white. His father, Barack Hussein Obama, a governmental economist, was born in Kanyadhiang Village, Rachuonyo, Kenya, and was a Kenyan of the Luo tribe. His mother, Stanley Ann (Dunham), an anthropologist, was born in Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas, and had English, and small amounts (to varying degrees) of Scottish, Irish, German, Welsh, Swiss-German, and French Huguenot, ancestry. His father was a Muslim and his mother was from a family of non-practicing Baptists and Methodists. President Obama practices Protestant Christianity.
President Obama is married to lawyer and writer Michelle Obama (born Michelle LaVaughn Robinson). Their children are Malia Obama and Sasha Obama. He lived in Indonesia from six to ten years old.
President Obama is the second person of significant non-white ancestry to have been nominated for, and elected as, President or Vice President of the United Sates by a major party. Charles Curtis, whose mother was of considerable Native American ancestry, was the first, and served as Vice President from 1929 to 1933. Kamala Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, is the third; she began serving as Vice President of the United States in 2021, and is the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 2024.
Genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner wrote President Obama’s ancestral lineage out as such, with approximate fractions:
*50% Luo Kenyan
*35.06% English
*4.69% Scottish
*3.91% Irish
*3.71% German
*1.56% Welsh
*0.98% Swiss
*0.1% French
President Obama’s paternal grandfather was Onyango (whose name was changed to Hussein Onyango Obama; the son of Obama and Nyaoke). Onyango was born in Alego. President Obama’s great-grandfather Obama was the son of Opiyo and Marrgorat.
President Obama’s paternal grandmother was Habiba/Habibah Akumu/Akkumu Nyanjango/Nyanjoga (the daughter of Njango/Njoga and Bwogi Otore). Habiba was born in Karabonda. Njoga was the son of Okela.
President Obama’s maternal grandfather was Stanley Armour Dunham (the son of Ralph Waldo Emerson Dunham and Ruth Lucille Armour). Stanley was born in Wichita, Sedgwick, Kansas. Ralph was the son of Jacob William Dunham and Mary Anne/Ann Kearney, whose father was Irish. Ruth was the daughter of Harry Ellington Armour and Gabriella Lee “Gabie”/”Gabbie” Clark.
President Obama’s maternal grandmother was Madelyn Lee “Toot” Payne (the daughter of Rolla Charles “R. C.” Payne and Leona Belle McCurry). Madelyn was born in Peru, Chautauqua, Kansas. Rolla was the son of Charles Thomas Payne and Della L. Wolfley. Leona was the daughter of Thomas Creekmore McCurry and Margaret Belle Wright, who was born in Dry Fork, Carroll, Arkansas.
President Obama’s matrilineal line can be traced to Sarah Wade “Sally” Ray, who was born, c. 1793, in Virginia.
Aside from being the first person of African descent to serve as President of the United States, President Obama is the first person of African descent to be the presidential nominee of a major American party.
President Obama is the fourth black American to have won a caucus and/or primary for a major American political party’s presidential nomination, having won 29+ states in 2008, and 50+ states in 2012. The previous winners are:
*Walter E. Fauntroy (1972; Democratic; won Washington, D.C.)
*Shirley Chisholm (1972; Democratic; won 3 contests, including New Jersey)
*Jesse Jackson (Democratic; in 1984, he won 2+ states; in 1988, he won 9+ states)
President Obama has distant Irish ancestry, going back to his great-great-great-grandfather, Falmouth/Fulmoth Kearney, who arrived in the States in 1850, from Moneygall in Ireland. Research done by a team of genealogists has suggested that President Obama’s mother had remote African-American ancestry (in the 1600s), through possible descent from a slave named John Punch.
In page 13 of his autobiography, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, 1995, President Obama writes that a distant ancestor of his mother’s “had indeed been a full-blooded Cherokee” [Native American]. No Cherokee Native American ancestry has yet been verified/documented for President Obama.
President Obama has referred to his mother’s ancestors as “Scotch-Irish mostly,” though their ancestry was predominantly English, with a smaller amount of Scots-Irish.
One of President Obama’s maternal ancestors, his ninth great-grandfather, Richard Singletary, was born, c. 1599, in Surfleet, Lincolnshire, England, to Francis Singletary and Agnes Cook. Richard’s son, Jonathan Singletary (later Dunham), was born, c. 1639, in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony. President Obama’s Dunham line traces back to Jonathan.
Sources: Genealogies of President Obama – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.geni.com
http://familypedia.wikia.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://famouskin.com
Genealogies of President Obama’s parents – http://www.findagrave.com
Article about President Obama’s Irish ancestry – http://living.oneindia.in
Article suggesting that President Obama’s mother had remote African-American ancestry – http://www.nytimes.com
Haha hes not even black and hes middle name is hussien…..go figure.
The man is BLACK so shut up about it what color is his skin and he said he was black so case close
Skin color doesnt mean ,much in the way of ethnicity. There are East Indians darker than many black Africans and black people in general. There are darker skinned Native Americans as well. Skin color varies in almost every ethnicity. Barack Obama is mixed. He looks mixed. Take him to Africa and he’ll be mixed, take him to south america, he will be mixed, but in this stupid country, somehow he’s black
@mid
It sounds to me that you are 50/50,and have been called black,but maybe I’m wrong.Anyhow being black or just called it has somehow become a really distasteful thing to be.It doesn’t bother me,doesn’t somehow cripple me,doesn’t hold me back.Look I’m all for you embracing your other parts of your heritage,but don’t act like the black part a cancer
hes not black thats y he mentioned the muslim holiday and not the christian one!!!!!
Lol I didn’t know his name (or surname?) was HUSSEIN.
like lol dumbass his surname is Obama his middle name is Hussein so what?
hes a muslim
Because they want to feel like they finally got a “Black” man in the white house. Even though he is half caucasian. Denial in it’s most ignorant form.
To AT
I don’t know what your angry about.Anyhow he’s not half Caucasian,he’s half American white.(Caucasian)does not mean your white.On top of that,the man IDs himself as African American,your trying to tell him he’s not?Also most of the black people here are of a mixture.I’m probably more mixed-blooded than he is,your trying to tell me I can’t call myself black if I want to?
How Does Caucasian Not Mean You Are White?
To total23
Man I told you this stuff before.Anyhow you had to go reread something about this.It turn out somehow that I went right pass this part where it says,Caucasian has nothing to do with skin color,I couldn’t believe I miss that part.It’s just a type of bone structure(phenotype).This all has to do with racism
Also the history of that word.You know it been change four time since 1937,and each time it has new people are added to it.North Africa didn’t get added until 1992,and in the latest version it no longer says white people,it now say (very light to brown people)College Edition.It wasn’t until 1939 I think,that people of india were added to the list,before that in the 1800’s,they weren’t seen as caucasian.This tells me that white people make up the rules as they go along(No OFFENSE to White People).
Even Doctors are no longer using the word,and instead say white or european(even though european is still incorrect)
Look at Phi Morris(actor)is he white no,Caucasian yes:
http://www.martialartsentertainmentradio.com/Phil_Morris.jpg
That’s actually true. The term Caucasian is derived from the Caucasus mountains, in the middle east. Race isn’t just skin color, but bone density, skull shape, and a wide range of physical traits. Which people are considered white is up to the cultural definition. For example, at one point in history even Irish people weren’t “white” enough. All native Europeans are Caucasian, but not all Caucasians are European.
To I love the wind
Well neither were (Spaniards, Italians,people of India,North Africans etc)at least over here.They all got there white card recently
Hey, I already know the race of a person when they say people from Inda are White. People from India are Asians.
Dat Means Dat White People Are Becoming More Accepting! Yeah! Soon There Will Only Be One Race In Humanity! Yay!
Actually, I believe there should only be one race, the human race. Besides, everyone is so mixed, that defining one race is a bit ludicrous, even if we are referring to predominance.
So they have to pick another one to have as first black president? Fffff, all these people have been cheated.
so he is the first biracial president w. white and black background
then why do ppl say the first african american?
To Adfa
Doesn’t it say his father is Kenyan(African),and his mother is white?Well he fits African American to the letter(White American mother,African father)put them together African American
But since when does “American” mean white?
To I love the wind
Well normally it doesn’t,but in this case it does.The mother is the American right?
Who says American means white? Who? Do tell….
To desoto
Well sweetie if you reread what was written,you would see I said normally it doesn’t.However his mother was the American,and she was white.I don’t see why you have a problem with that
Im new at this and i was responding to I love the wind, sorry i didnt mean u, lol!!
So, you are are what your father is. Is that what you’re saying, fuzzybear?
To boon
In many places,that would be the way.However,that’s not what I’m saying.I would still call him AA if the mother was the African.I really don’t get the problem,even he ID’s himself as AA,however call him what you want,makes no difference to me
I know huh, he is black and WHITE not just african american, i think its mostly the media. But i hate when african americans act like he is just “their” president just be cause he is dark skinned, um no he is half white, his momma is white as snow and his dad is dark as the night, so get it right, he is everyone’s president and a good representation of the melting pot of america!
@desoto:while I do agree that he’s a good rep for the melting pot here,if he was not famous,he would be just another African American in the eyes of the majority,that’s the honest truth and you know it.
I do know it, but first off hes not just another african american he is biracial ok and second, not to be racist but it is the african american population that is making a big deal out of it with having him exploited on t shirts and what not. I mean look at the governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal. Hes not a big deal, and he is different!!!
@desoto
Do you have any idea how many bi,multi,mgm,black people are here?I’ll tell you,the vast majority at least 2/3 of the population.The man has many times ID’s himself as African American.He’s more AA than I am,because he is a direct line,people seem to forget that.
Now let me get this right,because AA are happy because they have someone similar to them,who ID’s himself as them,they’re the bad people because they are happy?What about all the generation of white presidents who people sold shirts,made cartoons,put their likeness in stone and in money.Taught nothing in this country except how great they were,even when they weren’t.White people Were in the streets yelling and making a big deal out of it.All that’s ok to you,but not for black right?
Now as far as jindal,good for him,however he did not become president.If he had,everyone like him would have been yelling and selling shirts.AA have had many mayors and governors,this is the first time black people can look up and see someone who looks similar to them,and your hating on them for it.When villaraigosa became mayor of Los Angeles,mexicans went nuts.They yelled,sold shirts etc making a big deal out of it,I did get mad and say he’s not just the mexican peoples mayor.
Now your the one trying to make this about race,yelling he’s bi-racial.We all known he’s that,like I said most of the black population here is of mixed heritage.The man ID’s himself as AA,a choice he made a long time ago
He is what he is…. and thats biracial!!!
@desoto:yeah sweetie and no one is denying that,but he still is AA and your refusing to see that
mistake:you’re not your
@DeSoto
Who’s to say what the cut off point for being bi-racial is? Is a person who is 65% black and 35% white bi-racial?Or say a person who is 95%black and 5% white,is this person Bi-racial?Or 95% white and 5% black,is this bi-racial.What about 45% chinese and 55% white,is this person bi-racial.I’m asking because the these still involve two groups,or in your mind is just 50/50 who are called that?
HE IS NOT FULL AFRICAN AMERICAN, HE IS HALF WHITE, SO THAT MEANS HE IS MIXED NOT AFRICAN AMERICAN!!!! If i my father was hispanic and my mother was white what would i be white or hispanic, no i would be biracial!!!
That means you couldn’t give an answer to the question.Because many of the people who came up with these were bi-racial,you don’t think they would include themselves?You think all AA are mixed the same way?no were not.We really don’t know what the mans % are,he could be 55/45 in favor of his black side,is his still bi-racial?Now if you say yes then most of the AA population call say they are bi-racial.Now if you say no,then as 411 asked who can up with the rules?.
Now for yours parents,why would that be bi-racial?What kind of mexican is your father?Is he one of the white mexicans,or is he so called mestizo.If mestizo then he’s possible 3 heritages(which the avg mestizo is,white black and native).That then means your not bi-racial,but multi-racial.Now hispanic,is a culture anybody can be that,even if your white.However is you wish to see yourself that way fine
To desoto
Just putting this in here,being white doesn’t stop you from being African American.There are thousands of white African American here in the States.Now AA is a political term,just the newest one that has been used for the black people here,(negro,black,coloured,moor)all have been used.Now let me break it down,African is used because the black descendants here don’t know where we come from on the continent.Now American for the (melting pot) which is all the mixed heritage that’s been added to that bloodline.You guys have it in your head it just means black;which it doesn’t.The avg black person here most likely has at least two bloodlines going through them(I myself have 4),am I not to call myself AA because of that?
Now (wtf and 411) are right we don’t know what Obama actual percentage is.Todays mulatto is different from yesterday’s mulatto.You can be 60/35/5 and still be called bi-racial,because one parent is black,and the other parent for all purposes is white;but not pure white.Unknown to that white parent they may have a mixture to them,This could also work in reverse in the black .
Anyhow you say his mixed ,and therefore not AA,but the majority of the AA population is mixed,with percentages all over the places.I’m asking also,what’s the cut off point to be mixed?