In 1985 Barack Obama moved to Chicago to work as a community organizer with the Developing Communities Project, a church based group on the city’s South Side.
He worked with residents on issues such as job training, school improvement, and removing asbestos from public housing.
Building a Life
Chicago became home. Barack and Michelle Obama raised their daughters, Malia and Sasha, in the Kenwood neighborhood near Hyde Park, where their house became a well known landmark.
Did You Know
Obama often said his organizing years taught him how communities can create change from the ground up, an idea that shaped his later campaigns.
Learn More
For primary sources, explore the Obama White House archives maintained by the National Archives, the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, and presidential history collections at your local library. Reading accounts from supporters and critics alike gives the fullest picture of any presidency.
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