Former United States President Barack Obama comes to Manchester’s Co-op Live for a major evening of conversation during Black History Month.
The event will explore leadership, democracy, resilience and the role individuals can play in creating change, with Obama reflecting on America and the wider world as the United States marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.
Manchester is the final stop on a three-date October tour that also visits Belfast and Glasgow.
Obama holds a unique position within modern Black history.
When he won the presidential election in November 2008, he became the first African American elected President of the United States. He went on to serve two terms as the country’s 44th president.
His election carried enormous historical significance in a country where, within living memory, Black Americans had fought against segregation and systematic attempts to prevent them from exercising fundamental civil and voting rights.
Obama’s own route into politics began far from Washington.
After graduating from Columbia University, he moved to Chicago’s South Side and worked as a community organiser. He later attended Harvard Law School, becoming the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review, before returning to Chicago as a civil rights attorney.
His career subsequently took him from the Illinois Senate to the United States Senate and ultimately the White House.
Since leaving office, Obama has continued his work through the Obama Foundation, with a particular focus on supporting and developing future generations of leaders.
Taking place on Thursday 15th October, the Manchester event offers Black History Month audiences a rare opportunity to hear directly from a figure whose presidency marked an extraordinary moment in African American history.
Co-op Live confirms general doors at 6:30pm and a scheduled 7:30pm start, with extensive accessibility provision throughout the arena.
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