Obama: The Making of a Black President

PINOY BUILT December 16, 2016

In his January/Febrary 2017 cover story, Ta-Nehisi Coates explores President Barack Obama’s journey to the White House.

This short animation uses recordings from Coates’s conversations with Obama to illustrate the young president’s doubts and convictions along the way. "I think our basic assessment was maybe we had a 20-25 percent chance of winning,” Obama says of his run for president. “But what I never doubted was my ability to get white support.”

Vast majority of black Americans are "part black" and "part white." There is no "pure." Race is history. Not physics. https://t.co/GCVANnjLpl
— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) December 16, 2016

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Posted by: PINOY BUILT

Founder, Social Media Manager & Content Creator at Pinoybuilt.com. Photographer. Former IT Product Manager at Pacific Gas & Electric. I'm a 1.5 generation immigrant—Filipino-born, U.S.-raised—sharing stories that bridge cultures. Share yours at PINOYBUILT.com. I’m still learning about our roots, and I invite you to learn with me. I was born in Makati City and raised in Marikina, known for world-class shoes and strong community ties. I went to Marist School; my sister went to St. Scholastica’s. We spent weekends in Malate—those memories of old Manila still shape who I am. At 9, we moved to Chicago, where I saw snow for the first time. At 12, we relocated to Vallejo, CA. Since then, I’ve lived in Davis,Glendale (SoCal), back to Chicago in my 20s, San Francisco & Fremont. I visit SoCal often for family. Chicago will always be special—but go Golden State Warriors! At UC Davis, I was a member of Mga Kapatid, where I had the chance to participate in Pilipino Culture Night and perform traditional dances like Bangko. Now, as a father of three, I’m doing my best to pass on our Filipino heritage. Let’s build something Filipino together. Mabuhay.