Barack Obama
Barack Obama has made world-wide history. Elected as America’s first African-American President, Obama’s inauguration takes place tomorrow, and promises to draw crowds from all over the world to witness this global event.
Obama’s policies and beliefs have developed from much of his own life experiences, from being raised by his single mother in Indonesia to working as a community organizer in Chicago, and his family life with wife Michelle and his two daughters are also influential of his political decisions.
FemaleFirst takes a look at the places and cities which have shaped Obama’s life so far, including his parents’ meeting at the University of Hawaii, his political career in New York, his love of the Chicago White Sox baseball team, and the move into his new home at the White House in Washington DC.
Kenya
Obama’s African heritage comes from his father, Barack Obama senior, who was raised in a village in Kenya, East Africa. The family was relatively poor, and Obama’s father spent his youth herding goats to make a living.
Nowadays, Kenya remains proud of its history and wildlife, and its vast landscapes hold host to a number of lions, rhinos, zebras, giraffes and cheetahs. For this reason, Kenya is described as one of Africa’s predominant safari destinations.
To demonstrate Kenya’s concern for the conservation of wildlife, the country has many community projects to protect the well-being of particular animals, such as the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Giraffe Centre, which is located in Langata, near Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi, and the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage near Nairobi National Park.
The outbacks of Kenya offer more than secluded landscapes though, and climbers often visit Mount Kenya to attempt reaching its famous peak, while the Tana River is a hot spot for white water rafting.
Features such as this attract visitors from all over the world, and tourism has steadily grown following the bomb attacks of Mombasa in 2002.
In contrast to this traditional Kenyan way of life, Nairobi has progressed into a modern city, with an array of shops, markets and a busy nightlife. But unemployment and poverty is still relatively high in other areas of the country.
Kenya is also a main player on the international drug stage, and it has been reported that Mombasa’s sea port is a haven for heroin dealers.
Barack Obama senior didn’t plan to stay in Kenya for all of his life, and moved to Hawaii after winning a scholarship at the University of Hawaii. He was the school’s first African student, and whilst there, he met Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham.
Kansas
Obama’s American heritage derives from his mother, Ann Dunham, who was raised in Wichita, Kansas, in the central region of the United States.
Dunham lived here throughout the Second World War, as her father joined the army and her mother worked on a bomber assembly line.
Kansas is rich with culture, and hosts numerous museums and festivals dedicated to the African-American heritage and culture. Each September, the Wichita Black Arts Festival celebrates the achievements and customs of African-American people.
Also, the Kansas African-American Museum is an exhibit of art work, reflective of the African-American way of life.
Alternatively, the underground salt museum is a salt mine that is located 650 feet underground, but Kansas’s ecommerce also relies heavily on wheat produce.
After the war, Dunham’s family moved to Hawaii, where she met Barack Obama senior. He was reportedly already married at the time, but in custom with his Kenyan traditions, his first wife granted him permission to marry again.
Dunham was unaware of this, and was pregnant with Barack Obama when she walked down the aisle. She gave birth at aged 18, and left school to take care of the baby.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama senior left the family to pursue his studies at Harvard University, and Dunham was forced to raise Obama by herself, although with the help of her parents, in Hawaii.
The couple divorced when Obama was two years old, and Obama senior subsequently moved back to Kenya. He died in a car crash in 1982, having failed to develop a strong relationship with his son.
Hawaii
Barack Obama was born on the Island of Oahu in Hawaii, where he was raised by his mother until he was six years old. Although the family moved to Indonesia for a while, Obama has repeatedly returned to Hawaii for its diversity and beautiful landscapes.
Of his upbringing, Obama has said: “What’s best in me, and what’s best in my message, is consistent with the tradition of Hawaiiâ€.
Sandy Beach, located on the southeast coast of Oahu, is one of Obama’s favourite destinations, and he spent much of his youth surfing there. The biggest surf waves appear between December and February, and this is consequently the busiest time of the year for tourists.
Likewise, Hawaii’s beaches are also famous for snorkeling and diving, and the country is vast with rainforests and volcanoes, making it an increasingly popular holiday destination.
On returning from Indonesia, Obama attended school in Hawaii, where he was keen on playing basketball and visiting the scenic Puu Ualakaa State Park, and he also worked in a small ice cream shop.
His mother died from ovarian and uterine cancer in 1995, at aged 52, and her ashes were scattered near the Halona Blowhole beach in Hawaii.
Nairobi The Sixeighty Hotel is a three-star hotel just five miles from Nairobi National Park. Hotels.co.uk prices start from £55 per room per night
The Hilton Nairobi is a four-star hotel located in the centre of Nairobi not far from the Bomas of Kenya tourist village. Hotels.co.uk prices start from £122 per room per night.
Kansas The Hyatt Regency is a four-star hotel located in downtown Wichita. Hotels.co.uk prices start from £98 per room per night.
The Broadview Hotel is a three-star hotel just one mile from the Art Museum and Botanical Gardens. Hotels.co.uk prices start from £76 per room per night.
Hawaii The Ala Moana Hotel is a four-star hotel close to the beach and the main Ala Moana shopping district. Hotels.co.uk prices start from £97 per room per night.
The Waikiki Marina Resort is a three-star hotel with stunning views of the ocean and the Ala Wai Yacht Marina. Hotels.co.uk prices start from £98 per room per night.
To be continued…
Barack Obama has made world-wide history. Elected as America’s first African-American President, Obama’s inauguration takes place tomorrow, and promises to draw crowds from all over the world to witness this global event.
Obama’s policies and beliefs have developed from much of his own life experiences, from being raised by his single mother in Indonesia to working as a community organizer in Chicago, and his family life with wife Michelle and his two daughters are also influential of his political decisions.
FemaleFirst takes a look at the places and cities which have shaped Obama’s life so far, including his parents’ meeting at the University of Hawaii, his political career in New York, his love of the Chicago White Sox baseball team, and the move into his new home at the White House in Washington DC.
Kenya
Obama’s African heritage comes from his father, Barack Obama senior, who was raised in a village in Kenya, East Africa. The family was relatively poor, and Obama’s father spent his youth herding goats to make a living.
Nowadays, Kenya remains proud of its history and wildlife, and its vast landscapes hold host to a number of lions, rhinos, zebras, giraffes and cheetahs. For this reason, Kenya is described as one of Africa’s predominant safari destinations.
To demonstrate Kenya’s concern for the conservation of wildlife, the country has many community projects to protect the well-being of particular animals, such as the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Giraffe Centre, which is located in Langata, near Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi, and the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage near Nairobi National Park.
The outbacks of Kenya offer more than secluded landscapes though, and climbers often visit Mount Kenya to attempt reaching its famous peak, while the Tana River is a hot spot for white water rafting.
Features such as this attract visitors from all over the world, and tourism has steadily grown following the bomb attacks of Mombasa in 2002.
In contrast to this traditional Kenyan way of life, Nairobi has progressed into a modern city, with an array of shops, markets and a busy nightlife. But unemployment and poverty is still relatively high in other areas of the country.
Kenya is also a main player on the international drug stage, and it has been reported that Mombasa’s sea port is a haven for heroin dealers.
Barack Obama senior didn’t plan to stay in Kenya for all of his life, and moved to Hawaii after winning a scholarship at the University of Hawaii. He was the school’s first African student, and whilst there, he met Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham.
Kansas
Obama’s American heritage derives from his mother, Ann Dunham, who was raised in Wichita, Kansas, in the central region of the United States.
Dunham lived here throughout the Second World War, as her father joined the army and her mother worked on a bomber assembly line.
Kansas is rich with culture, and hosts numerous museums and festivals dedicated to the African-American heritage and culture. Each September, the Wichita Black Arts Festival celebrates the achievements and customs of African-American people.
Also, the Kansas African-American Museum is an exhibit of art work, reflective of the African-American way of life.
Alternatively, the underground salt museum is a salt mine that is located 650 feet underground, but Kansas’s ecommerce also relies heavily on wheat produce.
After the war, Dunham’s family moved to Hawaii, where she met Barack Obama senior. He was reportedly already married at the time, but in custom with his Kenyan traditions, his first wife granted him permission to marry again.
Dunham was unaware of this, and was pregnant with Barack Obama when she walked down the aisle. She gave birth at aged 18, and left school to take care of the baby.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama senior left the family to pursue his studies at Harvard University, and Dunham was forced to raise Obama by herself, although with the help of her parents, in Hawaii.
The couple divorced when Obama was two years old, and Obama senior subsequently moved back to Kenya. He died in a car crash in 1982, having failed to develop a strong relationship with his son.
Hawaii