Ken Mack Interview: Barack Obama - From Harvard to Oval Office | In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union

Ken Mack recalls his early memories meeting and befriending Barack Obama at Harvard Law School. He reflects how these experiences shaped Obama’s path to becoming the first Black president of the United States. 00:13 Meeting Barack Obama: Harvard Law School journey 01:10 Black student diversity at Harvard Law in the 1980s 01:44 Barack Obama’s historic presidency of Harvard Law Review 09:29 Obama’s biracial identity: its role in shaping his life 12:04 Barack Obama’s leadership and negotiation skills explained 13:53 Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring influence on Barack Obama 15:44 Derrick Bell’s activism and Harvard’s faculty diversity movement 20:32 Charles Hamilton Houston: inspiration for Barack Obama’s career 22:57 Race and affirmative action debates at Harvard Law School 25:00 Barack Obama and Ken Mack: friendship beyond Harvard 27:03 Obama’s 2004 DNC speech: launching his political career 28:26 Criticisms of Barack Obama’s racial identity during his career 30:45 The Jeremiah Wright controversy in Obama’s presidential campaign 33:29 Election night 2008: Barack Obama makes history as president 36:12 Challenges of Barack Obama’s presidency as the first Black leader 36:55 Henry Louis “Skip” Gates incident: Obama and racial controversies 39:01 Barack Obama’s strategy on race and politics during his presidency 42:17 Racist opposition to Barack Obama’s policies and leadership 44:43 Trayvon Martin’s case and its impact on Obama’s presidency 46:40 Obama’s “Amazing Grace” Charleston eulogy: a defining moment 50:19 Donald Trump’s rise following Barack Obama’s presidency 52:39 Barack Obama’s legacy: lasting impact on race and U.S. politics ---   🔍 About Ken Mack Ken Mack, the inaugural Lawrence D. Biele Professor of Law at Harvard, specializes in American race relations and legal history. A Harvard Law School faculty member since 1999, Mack authored Representing the Race: The Creation of the Civil Rights Lawyer (2012), a Washington Post Best Book of the Year and finalist for the Julia Ward Howe Book Award. A classmate and friend of Barack Obama at Harvard Law, Mack served as executive editor of the Harvard Law Review while Obama was its president. Interviewee: Ken Mack Interviewed by: Peter Kunhardt Interview Date: 1st November 2018 About Interview Archive:   Subscribe for access to never-before-seen conversations from society’s most inspirational figures, giving insight into the lives and events that shaped our culture and history. Learn more about our work and how to support our mission here: https://www.lifestories.org/. For the latest interviews, series, and films from Life Stories, visit our other channel:    / @lifestoriesdotorg     © Home Box Office and Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.   ---   Subscribe for more free documentaries:    / @lifestoriesdotorg     #KenMack #Interview #InPursuitofAMorePerfectUnion