Since his initiation as the first African American President in 2008, and the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama has made his mark in history by being the author of several landmark changes, a few of which are listed below:

Obamacare – Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010. Under the Act, health care facilities were provided to women, low-income families and students. Immigrants were also allowed to work under Obamacare. This bill faced strong opposition from the Republicans.

Gay Marriage 

Another achievement of the Obama administration is the acceptance of the LGBT rights. Under his presidency, Obama legalised gay marriage. He acknowledged the transgender community on the national platform and asked the related departments to allow transgender involvement in all areas of life including schools.

Obama faced severe criticism by the conservative and religious institutions, on the LGBT rights issue.

Efforts To Restore Diplomatic Relations

Despite criticism, Obama made an effort to restore diplomatic relations with countries heretofore regarded as  enemies of the US such as Iran and Cuba. In the case of Iran, he managed to halt their nuclear weapon programme diplomatically.

Firearms Legislation

The horrific mass shootings during the Obama administration, spurred several members of the public to demand gun safety laws . President Obama made efforts  to legislate a bill, however, his efforts were thwarted by Congress.

Obama publicly shared his views on the firearm safety issue and said that a law should be regulated so as to ensure that guns are only used for sports and recreation purposes.

Economic Pressure

The Obama Administration has faced the worst  financial crisis since the Great Depression. In response, President Obama inserted a stimulus package with the approval of  Congress.  This was the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)(2009). Its aim was to end the 2008 recession by encouraging consumer spending, whilst saving jobs. The critics, however, still debate the effectiveness of ARRA.

Job Opportunities

Since Obama took office, the nation’s job market has put nearly six million Americans back to work. This one result is undeniable.

Farewell

Obama will always be remembered as a President who took initiatives to establish the equality, care and safety of his people. He will be remembered for his dignity, manner, and diplomacy. Most of all he will be  remembered as a President who had so much more potential – and could have achieved so much more-had he not been up against a congress controlled by the Republicans.

I suspect Obama’s Legacy will only be highlighted in the face of his successor’s presidency.