It's the job, I think, of leaders to try to address peoples' real legitimate concerns and channel them in the most constructive ways possible.

Our goal is to have a country that's not divided by race.

There aren't a lot of situations where I look back and I say, The decision I actually made or the course we actually pursued was the wrong course.

What has made America the wealthiest, most successful country on Earth historically has been our commitment to education.

We buy our own toilet paper even here in the White House.

[My kids] are, sweet, kind, funny, smart, respectful people, and they treat everybody with respect. That's not just the biases of a parent. We feel pretty good when we hear back from friends, cause they still have sleepovers and they go to other folks houses and when the parents say, oh you know, Malia, she's just so sweet, or Sasha helped to pick up the dishes.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.