Tribute to Barack Obama

By Jonathan J. Chawora

Jonathan J. Chawora, an African who is a British resident, had never heard of Barack Obama until the junior senator from Illinois campaigned to be the Democratic presidential candidate. When Obama clinched the nomination, Chawora became intrigued, and when Obama delivered his victory speech the morning after the election, he could not hold back tears as he heard the U.S.’s first black president pronounce his famous slogan: “Yes we can!” His respect only grew after Obama banned the use of torture by American forces, sought to shut down Guantanamo Bay Prison, and pledged his commitment to fighting terrorism throughout the world. Through it all, Obama was calm under pressure and served as an example to future leaders. Even when he had to respond to Islamic State attacks, Brexit, the Ukrainian crisis, or the Syrian conflict, he kept his composure. Join the author and examine the lasting legacy of one of the greatest presidents the United States of America has ever had with this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jul 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781483472140

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CHAWORA

Copyright © 2017 Jonathan J. Chawora.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7299-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-7214-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017910894

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 07/21/2017

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Barack Obama, The Barrier Breaker

Chapter 2 Barack Obama, The Civil Rights Advocate

Chapter 3 Barack Obama, The Pragmatist

Chapter 4 Barack Obama, The Moral Leader

Chapter 5 Obama’s African Legacy

Conclusion

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INTRODUCTION

I consider myself a passionate follower of current affairs, and I have a lot of interest in world news and developments. I also have an interest in politics in the United States, which I have followed since my teenage years. On the other hand, many people across the world also have interest in what goes on in the United States. After all, the United States is the only superpower in the world. There is an old saying that if the United States sneezes, the whole world catches a cold. In Zimbabwe, a country beset with political and economic problems—and my home country—there are many people who follow the political developments in the United States. I am more than confident that this applies to the rest of the world. Here in my current home, the United Kingdom, people closely follow the political and cultural developments in the United States.

I have followed events such as the 9/11 catastrophe, the subsequent wars, and the political debates. Earlier, I followed the Gulf War after the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein, the American involvement in the Middle East, and in particular, its place in the Israeli-Palestinian question. I have also followed the American presidential elections and the American struggle with the Soviet Union and its defeat of communism in Europe. On the cultural side, I enjoy and follow many American movies and American music. I have followed American music since the days of Percy Sledge and, later, Grand Funk Railroad.

None of the above aspects of American politics and culture has captured my heart more than the election of President Obama. I’d never heard of Barack Obama until well into his campaign for nomination to be the Democratic presidential candidate. Initially, I was fascinated by his style and confidence from the pictures I saw on the major international news channels. My interest in Obama grew from strength as he clinched the nomination for the Democratic ticket and into his subsequent election as the first African American president of the Unites States of America. The most captivating moment for me was when I watched him deliver his victory speech on the morning after the election. I could not hold back the tears from my eyes as I listened to his great oratory and the famous slogan Yes we can. I loved the way he delivered his speech, especially the pauses; his reference to history and the significance of his election in the struggle for equality, as well as the continuous struggle for a more perfect union in his country; his argument that America is the greatest nation on