Obama akaberekerwa muHonolulu, Hawaii. Mushure mekupedza kudzidza kuColumbia University muna 1983, akashanda semurongi munharaunda muChicago. Muna 1988, akanyoresa kuHarvard Law School, kwaaive mutungamiri wekutanga mutema weHarvard Law Review. Mushure mekupedza kudzidza, akazova gweta rekodzero dzevanhu uye mudzidzi, achidzidzisa mutemo wepamutemo paYunivhesiti yeChicago Law School kubva muna 1992 kusvika 2004. Akamirira dunhu re13 kwematemu matatu muIllinois Seneti kubva muna 1997 kusvika 2004 paakamirira Seneti yeUS. Akawana kutarisisa kwenyika muna 2004 nekukunda kwake kwekutanga munaKurume, hurukuro yake yeDemocratic National Convention, uye sarudzo yake yekukunda munaNovember kuenda kuSeneti. Muna 2008, akasarudzwa semutungamiri wenyika gore mushure mekunge atanga mushandirapamwe uye mushure mekurwisa kwakasimba kurwisa Clinton. Akasarudzwa pamusoro peRepublican John McCain uye akagadzwa musi waNdira 20, 2009.
akanyoresa paHarvard Law School