Barack Obama will always have the distinction of being the first African American to be elected President of the United States, securing his place as one of the most recognized political icons in the world. How he accomplished this is an incredible story. From his earliest days working as a advocate for poor people in Chicago, where he established a tenant's rights organization, to becoming the first black president of the Harvard Law magazine; through his battle in the campaign for the presidency, and all the way to the steps of the White House, Barack Obama insists that he has never forgotten his roots, and, today, he still lists social reform as one of his chief concerns.