What could ANY President do for a specific community?
Top 7 Actions a President Can Take to Benefit a Specific Community/Ethnicity
Propose and Advocate for Legislation
Description: Work with Congress to draft and push for laws that address the specific needs of a community.
Example: Proposing criminal justice reform legislation to reduce sentencing disparities that disproportionately affect Black Americans.
2. Sign Executive Orders
Description: Issue directives that manage operations within the federal government and address specific community issues.
Example: Creating initiatives to improve educational opportunities for underrepresented groups.
3. Direct Federal Funding
Description: Allocate and direct federal funds to programs that support economic development, education, and healthcare in specific communities.
Example: Increasing funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and minority-owned businesses.
4. Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement
Description: Enhance the enforcement of civil rights laws through the Department of Justice.
Example: Investigating and prosecuting cases of discrimination in housing, employment, and education.
5. Expand Healthcare Access
Description: Implement policies to improve access to healthcare for underserved communities.
Example: Expanding Medicaid and providing funding for community health centers.
6. Enhance Educational Opportunities
Description: Support programs and policies that improve access to quality education for minority students.
Example: Increasing Pell Grant funding and supporting after-school programs in underserved areas.
7. Appoint Diverse Leaders
Description: Nominate individuals from diverse backgrounds to key positions within the federal government.
Example: Appointing minority leaders to cabinet positions, federal judgeships, and agency heads.
Obama Administration Actions Benefiting Black Americans (2009–2017)
Major Laws and Policies Signed (2009–2017)
Affordable Care Act (2010): President Obama’s signature health care law expanded coverage and access to care for millions. By 2016 the uninsured rate for African Americans under 65 had fallen by over half, with about 3 million Black adults gaining health insurance. This helped reduce racial disparities in health coverage and improved access to preventive services and treatment in Black communities.
Fair Sentencing Act (2010): On August 3, 2010, Obama signed this bipartisan criminal justice reform into law to address racially biased drug sentencing. It reduced the crack vs. powder cocaine sentencing disparity from 100:1 to 18:1 and eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for simple crack possession, correcting a policy whose impact “fell disproportionately on African-Americans”. Thousands of predominantly Black federal inmates became eligible for reduced sentences under this law.
Claims Resolution Act — Black Farmers Settlement (2010): In December 2010, Obama signed the Claims Resolution Act to fund legal settlements for groups who faced government discrimination. Notably, this included $1.15 billion for the “Pigford II” settlement for Black farmers who had been excluded from USDA loans and programs. This compensated tens of thousands of African-American farmers for past discrimination.
Economic Stimulus and Tax Credits: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) stabilized the economy during the recession, saving jobs (including many in the public sector and construction held by Black workers) and expanding safety nets. For example, Obama’s policies permanently expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit — by 2015 these credits were providing about 2 million African-American working families an average tax cut of $1,000 each. These measures helped lift incomes and reduce poverty in Black communities (Black poverty fell sharply in 2015–2016).
Dodd-Frank Financial Reform (2010): Obama signed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB and new fair lending regulations targeted predatory lending practices that had hit minority communities hardest (e.g. subprime mortgage abuses). The law also established Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion in financial agencies, aiming to ensure minorities’ access to fair credit and inclusion in the financial sector.
Education Investments: Obama’s policies increased federal support for students of color. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (companion to the ACA) provided $2.55 billion over 10 years for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions, and boosted Pell Grant funding for low-income students. Pell Grant aid to HBCU students rose significantly (from $523 million in 2007 to $824 million in 2014) under his administration. These investments helped more Black students afford college, contributing to over one million more Black and Latino students enrolled in college by 2016.
Every Student Succeeds Act (2015): Obama signed this law to replace No Child Left Behind. ESSA preserved requirements to track and close achievement gaps, benefiting Black students by holding schools accountable for the performance of minority subgroups. It also gave local flexibility to improve struggling schools with high Black enrollment. By 2016, the African American high school graduation rate hit a record high ~72.5%, reflecting progress in K–12 education.
Veterans and Minority Business Support: The administration bolstered programs that indirectly benefited Black Americans. The VETERANs Act and Job Training programs included targeted outreach to minority and female veterans. The Small Business Administration (SBA) increased loans to underserved markets by 26% from 2014 to 2015. In FY2015, the SBA changed rules to extend microloans to individuals on parole/probation, helping returning citizens (who are disproportionately Black) start businesses.
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Executive Orders and Initiatives Aiding Black Communities
White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans (2012): President Obama established this initiative by Executive Order on July 26, 2012. Its mission was to coordinate federal efforts to improve educational outcomes for African-American students — from early childhood through college. By addressing unequal access to quality teachers and resources, the initiative sought to increase Black high school and college graduation rates and improve career readiness.
My Brother’s Keeper (2014): Launched February 27, 2014, My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) is a presidential initiative focused on improving life outcomes for boys and young men of color. Obama created a My Brother’s Keeper Task Force to coordinate agency responses to opportunity gaps faced by young Black men (e.g. in mentoring, education, job training, and violence reduction). Within three years, nearly 250 communities in all 50 states (and D.C. and Puerto Rico) had implemented local MBK programs, backed by over $600 million in private grants and $1 billion in low-interest financing commitments to expand opportunities for youth of color.
Criminal Justice Reform Initiatives: After decades of mass incarceration impacting Black Americans, the Obama Administration took executive action when legislation stalled. In August 2013, Attorney General Eric Holder launched the “Smart on Crime” initiative, directing federal prosecutors to avoid harsh mandatory minimum charges for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders and to emphasize rehabilitation and re-entry support. In December 2014, Obama appointed the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, an expert panel to reform police practices and rebuild trust after incidents of police violence. The Task Force’s 2015 report recommended steps to curb biased policing and excessive force. Obama also ordered the Justice Department to ban solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons, ending that practice by 2016.
Clemency for Nonviolent Offenders: Using his executive clemency powers, Obama commuted the sentences of 1,715 federal prisoners — more than the previous 5 presidents combined — the majority of whom were Black Americans serving long terms for nonviolent drug crimes. Notably, many had been sentenced under the old 100:1 crack cocaine laws. Obama explicitly tied this clemency push to fairness after the Fair Sentencing Act, noting most commutations went to those who “would have already finished serving their time” under current law.
Civil Rights Enforcement: President Obama’s appointees reinvigorated civil rights enforcement through executive action. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division aggressively pursued cases on voting rights, housing, lending, employment discrimination, hate crimes, and police misconduct. Under Obama’s watch, DOJ opened over two dozen “pattern or practice” investigations into troubled police departments (including Ferguson, Baltimore, Cleveland and Chicago), leading to consent decrees that mandated reforms in agencies with histories of unconstitutional policing in Black communities.
Housing and Urban Initiatives: The administration launched Promise Zones (2014) to target high-poverty neighborhoods (several with large Black populations in cities like Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, etc.) for extra federal support, tax incentives, and grants to spur jobs, housing, and education initiatives. In 2015, HUD implemented the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, requiring local governments receiving housing funds to identify and reduce segregation and barriers to fair housing. This rule aimed to expand housing choices for minority families and tackle systemic housing discrimination.
Initiative on Women and Girls of Color: Responding to concerns that women of color also face unique challenges, the White House Council on Women and Girls in 2014 launched “Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Color.” This effort focused on issues like school discipline disparities, STEM education, and economic opportunity for Black women and girls. While not as high-profile as MBK, it signaled federal attention to Black women’s outcomes as well.
Notable Appointments and Representation
Historic Cabinet Appointments: President Obama appointed multiple African Americans to high-profile positions, ensuring representation at the highest levels of government. He chose Eric Holder as Attorney General (2009), the first Black American to ever hold that office. Holder prioritized civil rights (he later led the challenge to voter suppression post-Obama). In 2015, Obama appointed Loretta Lynch as Attorney General, making her the first Black woman to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement official. Other notable appointees included Jeh Johnson as Secretary of Homeland Security (2013–17), the first African American in that role, and Susan Rice as U.N. Ambassador (2009–13) and later National Security Advisor — one of the highest-ranking Black women in White House history.
Diverse Leadership in Agencies: Obama’s Cabinet and senior staff included several Black leaders heading key agencies. For example, Lisa P. Jackson served as EPA Administrator (2009–2013) focusing on environmental justice, Anthony Foxx as Transportation Secretary (2013–2017) investing in transit for urban communities, Melody Barnes as Domestic Policy Council Director, Regina Benjamin as Surgeon General, and Ron Kirk as U.S. Trade Representative. He also appointed Gen. Charles Bolden to lead NASA in 2009 (the first Black NASA Administrator). These appointments brought minority perspectives to policymaking and ensured issues affecting Black communities (from public health to infrastructure in cities) were given priority.
Judicial Appointments: Obama appointed 62 African Americans as federal judges over his two terms — a record number (19% of his confirmed judges, the highest share by any president up to that time). This included 9 Black judges to the U.S. Courts of Appeals and 53 to U.S. District Courts. Notably, he named 26 African-American women to lifetime judgeships, more than any prior president. These appointments broke barriers: five states saw their first-ever Black appellate judge during Obama’s tenure, and 10 states got their first Black female federal judge. The presence of more Black judges and prosecutors (like the first Black U.S. Attorneys in several districts) can influence the justice system toward fairer outcomes for Black defendants and communities.
Civil Rights Enforcement Team: Beyond Cabinet, Obama staffed the government with experts devoted to civil rights. For instance, Thomas Perez, who led the DOJ Civil Rights Division (2009–2013) and later became Labor Secretary, stepped up enforcement of voting rights and police reform. His successor Vanita Gupta continued that work. Obama also appointed Julian Castro (a Hispanic ally on urban policy) as HUD Secretary, who in 2015 rolled out fair housing rules benefiting Black neighborhoods. Overall, the administration’s personnel choices put many advocates for racial equity in positions to implement policy.
Broader Impact on Black Communities
Economic Recovery and Jobs: Black Americans benefited significantly from Obama’s handling of the Great Recession. The African American unemployment rate spiked at 16.8% in early 2010, but with sustained recovery efforts it fell by more than 9 percentage points by the end of Obama’s tenure, outpacing the overall national improvement. Programs like the auto industry rescue (which saved jobs in cities like Detroit with large Black workforces) and infrastructure projects funded by the 2009 stimulus provided employment in construction and public sector jobs that are vital for Black middle-class workers. By 2015, Black household median income was on the rise (up 4.1% in one year) and Black poverty saw its fastest drop in decades, with 700,000 fewer Black Americans in poverty in 2015 alone.
Health Care and Wellness: In addition to expanded insurance coverage, Obama’s health policies invested in community health centers and targeted disparities. The Affordable Care Act strengthened nondiscrimination protections in health insurance and invested in minority health outreach. By 2014, life expectancy for African Americans had reached its highest level ever recorded, and teenage birth rates for Black teens hit historic lows — trends aided by better access to healthcare, education, and prevention programs during the Obama years.
Education and Youth: Education outcomes for Black Americans improved. The high school graduation rate for Black students rose to 72.5% by 2014 — an all-time high, narrowing the gap with whites. More Black students attended college than ever before. Obama’s Department of Education issued guidance to reduce racial disparities in school discipline and expanded Head Start and Early Head Start programming, recognizing that early childhood education would particularly help communities of color. First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiatives (like “Let’s Move” for child health and “Reach Higher” encouraging college attendance) also indirectly benefited Black youth by promoting wellness and educational aspiration.
Civil Rights and Justice Climate: Under Obama, the federal government acknowledged and addressed issues of systemic racism more directly than in prior years. High-profile steps — such as the President’s speeches after Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012 and the Charleston church shooting in 2015 — gave voice to the Black community’s experiences. The DOJ’s pattern-and-practice investigations into policing in Ferguson and elsewhere resulted in reform agreements that, while requiring local follow-through, offered hope for safer, fairer treatment of Black citizens by law enforcement. Though challenges remained, by 2016 the incarceration rate for African Americans had fallen to its lowest point in over two decades, partly due to policy changes and declining crime, signaling a turn away from the peak of mass incarceration that had devastated Black communities.
Post-2010 Congressional Obstacles to Further Progress
After 2010, the rise of the Tea Party and a Republican-controlled Congress constrained many of Obama’s efforts. Several ambitious initiatives that could have greatly benefited Black Americans were blocked or diluted by Congress:
Jobs and Infrastructure Legislation: In September 2011, Obama proposed the American Jobs Act, a $447 billion package to jump-start employment — including funding to prevent teacher layoffs, rebuild infrastructure in hard-hit areas, job training, and a special initiative for youth jobs in low-income communities. Economists projected it would significantly reduce unemployment (which was highest among Black workers). However, Senate Republicans filibustered the bill in October 2011, allowing no up-or-down vote despite majority support. The GOP House refused to take it up. As a result, investments that would have particularly helped Black urban areas (e.g. school construction and neighborhood revitalization funds for places like Detroit) never materialized at the scale envisioned.
Minimum Wage Increase: President Obama repeatedly urged Congress to raise the federal minimum wage (stuck at $7.25) to $10.10/hour, which would disproportionately raise incomes for Black workers (who are often in low-wage jobs). In April 2014, with Democrats still holding the Senate, Republicans blocked a minimum wage bill by filibuster (54–42), stopping it from advancing. The GOP-led House also never voted on minimum wage bills. This thwarted an increase that the CBO estimated would lift nearly 1 million Americans (many of them Black) out of poverty.
Voting Rights Protections: After the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision (2013) gutted key Voting Rights Act protections, Obama implored Congress to restore the VRA’s safeguards for minority voters. A bipartisan bill (the Voting Rights Amendment Act) was introduced to update the pre-clearance formula for jurisdictions with histories of discrimination. However, House Republican leaders refused to hold hearings or votes on this legislation. In 2015, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, chair of House Judiciary, openly stated he would not act on the VRA restoration, claiming it “is not necessary”. This inaction left Black voters without full federal protection against new voter ID laws, purges, and other tactics that numerous states implemented after Shelby.
Criminal Justice Reform Bill: Late in Obama’s second term, there was rare bipartisan momentum for sentencing reform — the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 aimed to reduce certain federal mandatory minimums and ease three-strikes penalties. It had Obama’s backing and cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to bring the bill to the floor in 2016, effectively killing it. Many believe it was blocked to deny Obama a legislative win. Its failure delayed reforms that could have freed or reduced sentences for thousands of nonviolent drug offenders (disproportionately African American). A similar reform eventually passed after Obama left office (the 2018 First Step Act).
Police Reform and Gun Violence:Following police killings of unarmed Black men and the 2014–2015 protests, Obama’s calls for modest police reform bills (such as funding for body cameras and better training) met resistance in the Republican Congress, which was reluctant to enact federal oversight of policing. Likewise, after the Sandy Hook massacre (2012) and amid daily gun violence in urban Black communities, Obama supported a bipartisan bill to expand background checks for gun sales. In April 2013 that measure won 54 Senate votes but was filibustered by Republicans, and the GOP House never considered it. Consequently, legislative action to curb gun trafficking and shootings — which could have saved Black lives in cities plagued by gun violence — was largely stymied.
Education and Community Investments: Several forward-looking ideas in Obama’s budgets were blocked or ignored by the post-2010 Congress. In 2013 he proposed universal preschool for all 4-year-olds, an early education investment that would especially help African American and low-income children — but it went unfunded. In 2015 he unveiled America’s College Promise, a plan to make two years of community college tuition-free. This could have opened doors for hundreds of thousands of Black students. Republicans in Congress declined to advance that proposal, effectively shelving it. Even smaller programs faced cuts: Obama’s “First in the World” innovation fund (which had directed grants to HBCUs) was zeroed out by the GOP for 2016. And while Obama fought to increase housing and urban development spending (from blight reduction to transit), the Tea Party-influenced House often insisted on budget caps, limiting federal aid to cities.
Healthcare and Social Safety Net Fights: Although the Affordable Care Act became law, Republican governors in some states (with GOP support in Congress) refused the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, leaving hundreds of thousands of low-income Black adults in the “coverage gap” without insurance in states like Texas, Florida, and Georgia. Obama’s attempts to incentivize or mandate expansion nationwide were blocked. Additionally, GOP budget cuts and fights over food assistance resulted in reductions to programs like SNAP in 2014, affecting many Black households. Extensions of unemployment insurance for the long-term jobless (who included a disproportionate share of Black workers in the post-recession period) were allowed to lapse by the Republican Congress in 2014, against Obama’s pleas. In sum, partisan obstruction curtailed many anti-poverty and community development measures that Obama sought, tempering the full potential impact of his presidency on Black America.
Despite these obstacles, President Obama’s tenure marked significant progress for Black Americans through policy, representation, and targeted initiatives. Laws like the ACA and Fair Sentencing Act, programs like My Brother’s Keeper, and the diverse leadership he put in place all contributed to tangible improvements — even as many goals remained unfinished due to political opposition. The combination of what was achieved and what was thwarted during 2009–2017 illustrates both the strides made and the challenges that persisted in the quest for racial equity in America.
