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End of a decade: What the 2010s, Obama, Trump and Black Lives Matter meant for Americans – USA TODAY

It wasa decade of progress.

Former President Barack Obama, the nations first black president, was elected for a second term.

Protesters and professional athletes took a stand against police killings of black men.

Social media becametheplatform for calls for racial justice,sparking the launch of the Black Lives Matter social justice movement.

The 2010s were, by all means, monumental for black activism, giving many Americans hope that their voices might be heard.

It was a decade, however, that also saw theelection of President Donald Trumpwho pledged to support tougher law enforcement and limitimmigrationas well as renewed activity from thewhite nationalist movement, resultingin mass shootings and other incidents of domestic terrorism against people of color.

Civil rights activists now say more must bedone in the new decade to advance the rights of black people in the U.S. and build on the progress made since 2010.

Weseem to have taken significant steps forward, but it alsofeels like we havetaken significant steps backward," said Martin Luther King III, the son of Martin Luther King Jr. The policy changes that we need have not yet been manifested."

Martin Luther King speaks in Atlanta in 1960.(Photo: AP Photo)

King said movements such as Black Lives Matter motivated young organizers across the country to protestagainst violence and systemic racism towardblack people. In many ways, thatactivism was a continuation of the work civil rights leaders started in the 1960s.But while the Black Lives Mattermessage resonated for much of thedecade,Kingsaid, not much has changed in how police officers treat people of color.

Since 2012, when George Zimmerman, a white Hispanic, shot and killed17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was black,in Sanford, Florida, sparking activism that would become the Black Lives Matter movement, manyblack men and women continue to die at the hands ofpolice.According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this year, about 1 in 1,000 black men and boys in the U.S.can expect to be killed by police. That makes them 2.5 times more likely than white men and boys to die during interactions with law enforcement. Meanwhile, black women are 1.4 times more likely than white women to be killed by police.

The nation is also struggling to overcomeinjustices such as voter suppression, disparities in the education systemand housing inequalities that targetpeople of color, activists say.

A survey released earlier this year by the non-partisan Pew Research Center revealed nearly 6 in 10 Americans saidrace relations in the country were bad. And 56% said Trump maderace relationsworse.Conversely, in 2009, 41% of Americans saidrace relations had gotten better with Obama's presidency, while 22%said they had gotten worse, according to a Gallup Poll.

Martin's slayingfollowed by the acquittal of Zimmerman in 2013 marked a pivotal point for race relations in this decade.Millions were protesting across the country, demanding an end to the racial profiling of black men. Some wore hoodies to the protestssymbolizing what Martin wore the night Zimmerman shot him as the teenager walked to his father'sfiance's house from a nearby convenience store.

Protestors, Lakesha Hall, 32, of Sanford, center, and her son, Calvin Simms, 12, right, gather early for a rally for Trayvon Martin, the black teenager who was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch captain last month, at Fort Mellon Park in Sanford, Florida, on March 22, 2012.(Photo: Julie Fletcher, AP)

Soon after the shooting, Obama acknowledged that Martin's death proved theUnited Stateswas still not a post-racial society."You know, if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," Obama said during a news conference at the White House. "All of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves."

On July 13, 2013, Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder. That same day, the Black Lives Matter organization was officiallylaunched.

Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, said the movement exposed what was already happening to black people in black communities.It also inspired a new generation of activists millennials and Gen Zers to fight for equality, she said.

Their efforts, however,have been challengedby a growing white supremacy movement. In 2018, there was an almost 50%increase in total white nationalist groups, jumping to 148 from 100, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

"The rise of white nationalism has everything to do with the backlash against the black uprising," Cullors said. "It iscritical that we situate what has happened in the last 10 years as part of a longer history of this happening."

Two years after Martin's death, the nation became divided once again when Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson fatally shotunarmed black teenager Michael Brown.The St. Louis suburb became the center of unrest when demonstrations, violence and looting erupted.

The crowds wanted police to stop racial profiling.Ferguson police had a history of unfairly targeting black people, but the Obama administration'sDepartment of Justice ultimately concluded that Wilson shot Brown in self-defense.

Demonstrators raise their arms and chant, "Hands up, Don't Shoot", as police clear them from the street as they protest the shooting death of Michael Brown on Aug. 17, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri.(Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images)

The next five years would bring more controversial deaths of black people. Activists maintain that racism motivatedeveryincident:

Experts say some of these incidents were better documented in the 2010s because of advancements in technology.Police body cameras, dash camerasand cellphone videos from witnesses provided unprecedentedevidence for law enforcement officials, as well as the American public.

For example, a police dash cam video recorded Yanez shooting Castile during thetraffic stop. Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was sitting in the passenger seat,also recorded the moments after the shooting on a Facebook Live video.Yanez was acquitted of all charges in the shooting, despite protests from the community.

Castile's mother, Valerie Castile, said she was not surprised when the jury acquitted Yanez. Castile saidshe has watched police get away with shooting black men her entire life.

With hopes of saving lives, Castile said she is working with the state of Minnesotato distribute a manual that tells drivers what to do if they are carrying a gun and get pulled over by police.

Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, listens on during a press conference on Nov. 16, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi filed charges today against St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who shot and killed Castile during a traffic stop.(Photo: Stephen Maturen, Getty Images)

There is never a reason why the police kill our black men," Castile said."But there are a hell of a lot of excuses, and we are trying to eliminate some of the excuses."

Robert Bennett, a Minneapolis-based attorney for the Castile family, said he remains hopeful that with "hard evidence" from cameras and publicawareness, morepolice will be convicted of shooting black men when appropriate.

One sign of progress was in October 2018 when Chicago police officerJason Van Dykewas convicted of second-degree murder for shooting Laquan McDonald, 17, as he walked away from police.

Police initially reported that McDonald, who was black, refused to put down a knife he was carryingand lunged at them. But when the court ordered police to release the dash cam video, it showed McDonald walking away from police when he was shot.

"It doesnt give the police as much room to wiggle," Bennett said ofthe cameras. Theres some reason to think they might be held accountable at some point."

The fight for equality also showed up in sports and entertainment this decade.

One of the most discussed events came in August 2016 when Colin Kaepernick, then the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, refusedto stand for The Star-Spangled Banner before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. Kaepernick said he could not show pride for a flag in a country that oppresses black people.

San Francisco 49ers' Eli Harold, Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid kneel in protest during the playing of the national anthem before a NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on Oct 6, 2016.(Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)

Critics blastedKaepernick for his stance, characterizing him as a divisive figure. In August 2016, Trump said maybe Kaepernick "should find a country that works better for him.In September 2017, Trump said NFL owners should "get that son of a bitch off the field" when any players protest during the national anthem.Kaepernick has gone unsigned since2017 and has accusedthe NFL of blackballing him because of his political statements.

Kenneth B. Nunn, professor of law at the University of Florida, said the backlashtowardKaepernick hurts the movement for equality because a black man is being punishedfor speaking out against police brutality.

"It seems to be a social message of rejection and sort of ostracizes Kaepernickand members of the Black Lives Matter movement," Nunn said. We are looking at decades of asetback for AfricanAmerican progress."

Black celebritiesalso spoke out against the Academy Awards in 2016 when, for the second year in a row,no actors of color received an acting nomination.Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith and other actorsthreatened to boycott the show.

A year later, in 2017,"Moonlight" becamethe first film with an all-black cast to win the Academy Award for best picture.

Other milestones for black America this decade included Beyonce being the first black woman to headline Coachella in California in April 2018, andMeghan Markle, a mixed black and whitewoman from Los Angeles, marryingPrince Henry in the United Kingdom in May 2018.

These high-profile moments in black history, as well asracial anxiety among some white voters from having a black president for the first halfof the decade,might have contributed to Trump winning his election in 2016, Nunn said.

President Donald Trump talks with former President Barack Obama on Capitol Hill in Washington, prior to Obama's departure to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, on Jan. 20, 2017.(Photo: Rob Carr, AP)

Obama often defended the Black Lives Matter movement andmet with young civil rights activists at the White House in 2014.Under his administration, the Department of Justiceinvested in training and research tohelp reduce implicit bias in police departments. It also provided millions of dollarsto agencies with community policing initiatives.

In 2017, Trump's administration ended the program and announced it would instead focus on providing support forofficersfighting gangs, drugs and violent crime. Trump would later tell police they didn't have to be nice to suspects.

Trump, meanwhile, has at timesbeen labeled a racist for his comments and tweets toward Latinos, black people and Muslims during his time in office.In January 2018, the presidentreferred to Haiti andblack-majority nationsin Africaas "shithole countries" during a meeting to discuss the U.S.visa lottery.

In July,he told four minority, liberal congresswomen,known as "the Squad," togo back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came."Trump also drew criticism when he called a majority-black congressional district inBaltimore "a disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess."

Not only has hemade race relationsworse, but he has done so in ways that are both explicit and subtle," Nunn said.

Despite making little progress with racial equality in the 2010s, activists say they are still optimistic.

Cullors said she hopesthe nation is seeing the last vestiges of white nationalism in the Trump era. To make more progress, young activists needto engage in politics and prepare to run for office, Cullors said.

"I think racism has to die off with structures, too," Cullors said. "We have to change these policies the systems in place, the policies that hold people back."

Castile said policymakers are more likely to listen to people sitting at the table with them compared withprotesters.

We have a long way to go because once you turn social issues into politicalissues, then you have a bunch of red tape," Castile said. "But I've got so much hope, and I spend a lot of time talking to leaders."

King said progress in the next decade will require drastic changes to law enforcement practices, including training for police, community policing and civilian review boards.He is also working to end voter suppression and encouraging more voter registration and voter education efforts.

King acknowledged that these changes likely won't happen soon. But he hopesfuture leaders will move the nation forward.

We have to believe the best is yet to come," King said.I have great hope for the generations behind me."

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End of a decade: What the 2010s, Obama, Trump and Black Lives Matter meant for Americans - USA TODAY

Barack Obama is spending the holidays golfing and holding babies – AOL

Former PresidentBarack Obama is spending the holidays as he usually does golfing in Hawaii. But this year, hehugged a few babies along the way.

It started Friday whenObama approacheda family and asked if he could hold their 3-month-old daughter, Riley Lewis. In a video that has since racked up over 1 million views on Twitter, Obama is heard saying,"Who is this cutie pie?"

The former president thenholds Riley in his arms and gives her a kiss.

"I was just in awe," Riley's mom Tiffany Lewis told Good Morning America. "I look back at the pictures and I look so crazy because my mouth was just wide open in shock."

Andrea Jones,Riley's aunt, posted an additional photo of the president with Riley and her parents.

"Im convinced President Obama has baby fever,"Jones said.

Jones just might be right because as if that moment wasn't sweet enough, Obama managed to find another baby to hold on Sunday.Krystle Ilar told HuffPostshe and some friends were at Mid-Pacific Country Club in Lanikai when they got word that Obama was on the 18th hole.

They made their way to where he was and to Ilar's surprise, he asked to hold her 2-month-old son, Levi.

In a video shared on Instagram, Obama is seen holding Levi and cooing at the baby. He says hello and even shakes his hand.

"As I watched him hold my son, my heart overflowed. He was so genuine and so gentle with my son, Levi," Ilar told HuffPost. "Its an amazing experience and one that well all cherish for a lifetime!"

"When Levi gets older, my husband and I will share with him about how he got to be held and loved on by the 44th president,"she added.

Obama's trip isn't over just yet, so there may be more baby-holding moments before the year ends.Fingers crossed.

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Barack Obama is spending the holidays golfing and holding babies - AOL

Michelle Obama Heartbreakingly Postponed Christmas Plans; Ex-FLOTUS Husband Barack Obama To Blame – International Business Times

KEY POINTS

Michelle Obama talked about one of the many Christmases she has celebrated with her husband, Barack Obama.

In her memoir Becoming, the ex-FLOTUS revealed that she, Barack, and their then-18-month-old daughter Malia, were scheduled to fly to Hawaii to celebrate the holidays. While there, they were also supposed to meet with Baracks grandmother, Toot.

Their tickets have already been booked, and they were all set on going but politics got in the way. The ex-POTUS called his wife and told her that the Illinois senate was hung up on a marathon debate amid a major crime bill.

The former president of the United States told Michelle that they would have to postpone their trip to Hawaii. The former first lady wasnt pleased with what her husband told her, but she was more than understanding of the situation.

After all, the trip will only be postponed and not canceled.

I didn't want Toot spending Christmas alone, and beyond that Barak and I needed the downtime. The trip to Hawaii, I was figuring, would separate both of us from our work and give us a chance to simply breathe, she said.

Barack, Michelle, and Malia flew to Hawaii two days before Christmas, and they spent the holidays at Toots apartment. But while opening their presents and chatting, Barack received another phone call from Illinois informing him that the senate was going back to session.

With a sinking heart I watched as Barack jumped into action, rebooking out flights to leave the following day pulling the plug on our vacation, she said.

Meanwhile, the ex-FLOTUS also talked about another devastating incident in her life years ago. After the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut, Michelle clung to her daughters.

Her husband, Barack, spoke at a prayer vigil being held for the victims two days after the tragic incident. But the former first lady said that she couldnt bring herself to join her husband.

Michelle was so shaken by the shooting that she felt she had no strength left. Instead of trying to comfort other mourning parents, she simply clung to Malia and Sasha with fear and love intertwined.

Barack and Michelle Obama greeted each other on Valentine's Day on Twitter. Pictured: Barack and Michelle kiss as they wait for President-elect Donald Trump and wife Melania at the White House before the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Getty Images/Kevin Dietsch

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Michelle Obama Heartbreakingly Postponed Christmas Plans; Ex-FLOTUS Husband Barack Obama To Blame - International Business Times

In 2020, Joe Biden and the moderates are well to Obamas left – Vox.com

Thursdays debate, like the collisions that preceded it, pitted a leftist lane led by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren against a moderate lane led by former Vice President Joe Biden and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. The former believe in big, structural change, going to battle with billionaires, and eliminating private insurance; the latter believe in incremental progress, courting the wealthy, and building on Obamacare. The seemingly massive differences between these two factions represent a fierce ideological fight for the future of the Democratic Party.

The rhetoric of this clash is obscuring a deeper truth: All the lead contenders are running on the most progressive agendas to ever dominate a Democratic primary. Indeed, by the standards of the Democratic Party in 2008, the moderates look like leftists. As a result, if Biden or Buttigieg actually win the nomination, they will be running on the most progressive platform of any Democratic nominee in history.

We reviewed the details of the policy positions held by the four top 2020 Democratic contenders (Biden, Buttigieg, Sanders, Warren) across a handful of key issue areas. When you compare the ideas of the leftists and the moderates against Obamas 2008 campaign positions, the overall shift toward the left is undeniable. The point here isnt to offer a comprehensive rundown of where each candidate stands on every issue, but to illustrate the way the center of gravity in the party has moved.

Health care: a consensus around insurance expansion built atop public coverage

Warren/Sanders: Implement a single-payer health care system with universal coverage, zero copays or deductibles, and government-directed pricing.

Biden/Buttigieg: Achieve at least 97 percent health care coverage via a public option open to everyone, including those with employer-sponsored insurance. Increase subsidies by tying them to Obamacares more comprehensive gold level plans and capping premiums at a maximum of 8.5 percent of income, no matter your income.

Obama 2008: Expand Medicaid to 133 percent of the poverty line, offer subsidies for private insurance up to 400 percent of the poverty line, and offer a public plan to those ineligible for employer coverage, Medicaid, or Medicare. Notably, while the 2020 candidates focus rhetorically on expanding Medicare, Obama focused rhetorically on access to private insurance.

Climate change: significant spending increases and a goal of net-zero emissions or full decarbonization by 2050

Sanders/Warren: Sanders plans to invest $16.3 trillion in federal funding over the next decade to reach 100 percent renewable energy for electricity and transportation by 2030, and complete decarbonization of the economy by 2050. Warren plans to invest $3 trillion to reach 100 percent clean energy electricity by 2035, and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Biden/Buttigieg: Invest between $1.5 and $2 trillion in federal funding over the next decade to push the US toward a 100 percent clean energy economy and hit net-zero emissions by 2050.

Obama 2008: Invest $150 billion (funded by passing the cap-and-trade bill) in clean energy research over the next decade to reduce emissions 80 percent by 2050. Notably, Obamas plan called for increasing domestic production of oil and gas in the short-term.

Immigration: a liberalization in both laws and rhetoric

Sanders/Warren: Decriminalize crossing the border, expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, reshape ICE and CBP, increase the number of refugees the US admits to 175,000 annually (Warren), repeal 1996 immigration laws (Sanders), and support all Biden policies below.

Biden: Reverse Trump administrations toughest anti-immigrant policies, increase the number of refugees the US admits to 125,000 annually, reinstate DACA, and provide a path to citizenship for all undocumented immigrants currently living in the US.

Obama 2008: Fund additional personnel, infrastructure, and technology to secure our borders, increase penalties on employers who hire undocumented immigrants, create a responsible path to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants who learn English and pay fines. Even this summary, though, doesnt quite do justice to the difference in rhetoric: Obamas plan is framed in terms of an enforcement-first approach, noting that the undocumented population is exploding and immigration raids only netted 4,600 arrests in 2007.

Note: Buttigieg hasnt yet released a full immigration plan, though his campaign plans to release one shortly.

Criminal justice: against the death penalty, private prisons, marijuana criminalization, and cash bail

Sanders/Warren: Both support all Buttigieg/Biden policies below (including marijuana legalization) as well as decriminalization of homelessness. Sanders also wants to give all incarcerated prisoners the right to vote as part of a Prisoners Bill of Rights.

Biden/Buttigieg: Eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent crimes, end the federal death penalty, abolish federal private prisons, get rid of cash bail, and either decriminalize (Biden) or legalize (Buttigieg) marijuana.

Obama 2008: While the Obama platform didnt even have a specific criminal justice platform, it did offer to expand the use of drug courts, work to ban racial profiling, and reduce racial sentencing disparities. When asked about the issue during a 2008 debate, Obama raised his hand to declare that he opposed decriminalizing marijuana. He also supported the death penalty for some crimes.

Higher education: some form of public higher ed should be free for almost everyone

Sanders/Warren: Make public colleges, universities, and trade-schools tuition and debt-free for all students.

Biden/Buttigieg: Make four-year public university tuition free for at least 80% of American families (Buttigieg) or make community colleges completely tuition free (Biden).

Obama 2008: Create a new American Opportunity Tax Credit to ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans (in exchange for 100 hours of public service per year).

Student debt: recognizing student debt as a problem, and cancellation or repayment limits as an answer

Sanders/Warren: Sanders would cancel all student loan debt. Warren would cancel $50,000 of student loan debt for those making less than $100,000, and phases the benefit out at $250,000.

Biden/Buttigieg: Biden would reduce the student debt burden by implementing income-based payment programs that cap payments at 5 percent of discretionary income (Buttigiegs plan looks similar, but is vaguer on numbers). Buttigieg would cancel debt from predatory for-profit institutions. Both would automatically forgive all remaining debt after 20 years.

2008 Obama: No plan available.

While it is far from single-payer, universal student debt forgiveness, and a $16 trillion climate plan, the 2020 Democratic moderate agenda is anything but moderate by historical standards.

The Democratic Partys shift to the left is multicausal. Some of it reflects Obamas accomplishments: his achievements are a foundation the 2020 candidates are building on. Some of it reflects the changed realities the candidates are responding to climate change has accelerated since 2008, the student debt crisis has worsened, and Donald Trumps presidency has transformed the domestic political context, particularly on immigration. And some of it reflects the influence Sanders and a resurgent left have had on the entire Democratic Party.

Still, while the 2020 primary is being touted as an ideological battle for the future of the Democratic Party, in many ways, the future of the Democratic Party is already here.

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In 2020, Joe Biden and the moderates are well to Obamas left - Vox.com

The biggest stories of the decade according to you – NBC News

We asked: What do you think are the biggest stories of the past decade? Here's what NBC News and MSNBC readers and viewers shared. We'll be updating this graphic through the end of 2019.

Numbers indicate the number of submissions per story.

Donald J. Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election was nothing short of a political earthquake and the aftershocks continue to rock the lives of Americans. The real estate developer and former reality television star has virtually monopolized headlines for nearly every day of his presidency, thrilling his supporters and alarming his critics with hard-right policy moves, incendiary rhetoric and a freewheeling Twitter feed.

Trump, who is gearing up for re-election in 2020, has already reshaped the landscape with a massive tax cut, sweeping changes to immigration rules, and the consolidation of the conservative majority on the Supreme Court. No matter the outcome of Novembers election, Trump has unequivocally redefined the presidency for many years to come.

Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings.

Washington may be divided on the correct response to global warming, but huge swaths of people across the world, from progressive political leaders to average citizens and activists, are convinced that climate change represents the gravest and most pressing threat to the planet. Whats more, many scientists expect that the issue caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas could get far worse by the end of the century.

Trump, for his part, has announced his intention to pull out of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement. But people in states and cities across the United States and many parts of the world remain committed to curbing greenhouse gas emissions and continue to push for more comprehensive action. Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, meanwhile, emerged this year as a global conscience for environmental activism. (She also made the cut for the biggest story of the decade as chosen by NBC News readers and viewers).

America's intelligence agencies agree: Russian President Vladimir Putin's government meddled in the 2016 presidential election, aiming to sow social discord and boost Trump's anti-establishment candidacy. The interference campaign, with tactics ranging from fake news and digital disinformation to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, have been heavily dissected and hotly debated throughout much of Trump's time in the Oval Office.

Russian election interference, characterized by some as an unprecedented subversion of American democracy, was also one of the focal points of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible ties between Trump campaign associates and Putin's government. Mueller ultimately found no proof that Trump criminally colluded with Russia, but senior officials continue to sound the alarm about Russia's plans for 2020.

The fourth-biggest story of the decade is still being written: Earlier this month, Trump became only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached after the Democratic-led House of Representatives charged him with committing high crimes and misdemeanors. The process will eventually move to a trial in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Democrats accuse Trump of violating his oath of office in pressuring Ukraine to announce investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter while withholding some $400 million in aid, as well as obstructing Congress by refusing to release any documents related to his actions. Trump, who has angrily pushed back against the Houses proceedings, now becomes the first president to run for re-election after being impeached.

Barack Obamas re-election in 2012 cemented his barrier-breaking place in history and symbolized the dramatic cultural changes of the decade. Obamas second term in the White House was often hindered by fierce GOP opposition in Congress, although he notched a series of progressive victories, including signing the Paris Agreement, reaching a nuclear deal with Iran and negotiating rapprochement with Cuba.

But simmering domestic unrest, including the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, and mounting anger in many parts of the world over the unequal recovery from the global financial crisis frequently tested the limits of Obamas political appeal. The resurgence of anti-establishment populism in his final months in office Brexit, Trumps election also threatened to erode much of his legacy.

And yet for many Americans, Obama remains an inspirational figure admired for his soaring rhetoric, steady leadership and history-making ascent to the White House.

Robin Muccari is a data visualizations and graphics designer for NBC News Digital.

Daniel Arkin is a reporter for NBC News.

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