Barack Obama Biography by Katie

Barack Obama was raised by a single mother and his grandparents. They didn't have much mony, but they taught him values from the Kansas heartland where they grew up. He worked for Christian churches in Chicago, helping communities devastated when steel plants closed.

Obama turned down lucrative job offers after law school to return to Chicago, leading a successful voter registration drive. He joined a small law firm, taught constitutional law and, guided by his Christian faith, stayed active in his community.

In the Illinois state Senate, he worked with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families. In the US Senate, he has focused on tackling the challenges of aglobalized, 21st century world with fresh thinking and a politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator.

Now Obama and his wife Michelle have two kids, Sasha and Malia.