Barack Obama

This Activist Wants to Stop Female Genital Mutilation For Fatou Baldeh, the past year was critical in the fight to end the human-rights violation in Gambia.

This International Women’s Day, I’m celebrating leaders like Fatou Baldeh in our Girls Alliance Network. Read more about her work to end female genital mutilation in Gambia:

time.com/7216397/fema...

—rights we enjoy today. That’s something that we have to do each and every day, as we strive to live up to their example and make sure our children and grandchildren remember their stories.

From our earliest days, Black history has always been American history – and Black folks have profoundly shaped our American culture through music, art, literature, sports, and beyond. One month a year is not sufficient to celebrate the power of the movements and the people who have fought for the—

Women of all ages knew they could count on Cecile, and Michelle and I will always be grateful for her advocacy. We send all our love to Kirk, Lily, Hannah, Daniel, and all those who loved and admired her.

—And her leadership at Planned Parenthood led to the inclusion of important healthcare provisions in the Affordable Care Act.

Cecile Richards dedicated her life to protecting and expanding women’s rights. She never wavered in her commitment to ensuring that women had access to the reproductive health care they needed.

As a foreign service officer, a Congressman, and citizen, Jim Leach put country above party time and again. He was a dedicated public servant, and we were lucky to have him as part of my administration. Thinking of Jim’s family and friends today.

It was great catching up with the young leaders from our Obama Foundation Scholars and Voyagers programs during my time in Chicago. They’re working hard to transform their communities, and I'm inspired by their work.

but an increasing willingness on the part of politicians and their followers to violate democratic norms, use the power of the state to target critics, journalists or political rivals and even resort to violence in order to gain and hold on to power.

The alternative is what we’ve seen here in the U.S. and in many democracies around the world – not just gridlock and public cynicism

I’m convinced if we want democracy as we understand it to survive, then we’re all going to have to work towards a renewed commitment to pluralism.

So we commit to a system of rules that helps us peacefully resolve our disputes and try to cultivate habits that encourage us to not only tolerate each other but also join in collective action.

At this year’s Obama Foundation Democracy Forum, I spoke about pluralism – the idea that in a democracy, we all have to find a way to live alongside individuals and groups who are different from us.

As the CEO of Sistech Global, Joséphine is helping refugee women break into the tech world and secure employment.

Read how pluralism shapes Joséphine Goube’s work and everyday life:

Happy birthday to my friend, @joebidenbsky.bsky.social!

A few weeks ago, I met with Girl Scouts on their trip to @montereyaq.bsky.social. We talked about the magical world just beneath the surface of our oceans, and how our fates are inextricably linked. I hope you’ll check out Our Oceans from HG Media, which is streaming now on Netflix.

On December 5, the Obama Foundation will host our third annual Democracy Forum focusing on pluralism – how we can disagree deeply while still finding a way to live together.

I hope you’ll tune in at obama.org/2024-democracy….