Barack Obama

"Whatever success I have achieved, whatever positions of leadership I have held have depended less on Ivy League degrees or SAT scores or GPAs and have instead been due to that sense of connection and empathy, the special obligation I felt as a black man like you to help those who need it most, people who didn't have the opportunities that I had because there, but for the grace of God go I. I might have been in their shoes. I might have been in prison. I might have been unemployed. I might not have been able to support a family. And that motivates me."

7 likes

Source: Around The World with Michael Holmes and Suzanne Malveaux, www.cnn.com. May 20, 2013.

About the author

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Politician

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States, notable for his focus on hope, change, and healthcare reform through the Affordable Care Act.

All quotes by Barack Obama →

Same author

More quotes by Barack Obama

See all →
Barack Obama Politician

"Keep exploring. Keep dreaming. Keep asking why. Don’t settle for what you already know. Never stop believing in the power of your ideas, your imagination, your hard work to change the world."

Read quote
Barack Obama Politician

"The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope."

Read quote