Page 83 - Demo

1715O Barack Obaman behalf of the great state of Illinois, crossroads of a nation, land of Lincoln, let me express my deep gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention. Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let%u2019s face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father, my grandfather, was a cook, a domestic servant.But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place; America which stood as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before. While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor he signed up for duty, joined Patton%u2019s army and marched across Europe. Back home, my grandmother raised their baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through FHA, and moved west in search of opportunity.And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter, a common dream, born of two continents. My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or %u201cblessed,%u201d believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren%u2019t rich, because in a generous America you don%u2019t have to be rich to achieve your potential. They are both passed away now. Yet, I know that, on this night, they look down on me with pride.I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents%u2019 dreams live In what ways were Obama%u2019s parents%u2019 upbringings similar and dissimilar? Why is it important to provide these details?11This November 2004 photo shows then-Senate candidate Barack Obama with his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Sasha (left) and Malia (right), who were then three and six years old.How do his daughters contribute to his story being %u201cpart of the larger American story%u201d? How does this photograph reflect that contribution?Scott Olson/Getty ImagesCopyright %u00a9 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.