Barack Obama takes his seat!
As the 109th Congress reconvened on Tuesday, January 4, 2005, Barack Obama became the first African American male to hold a senate seat since Edward Brook (R-MD) completed his term in 1979.

In his role as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, freshman Senator Obama made his debut in the highly publicized confirmation hearings for Secretary of State designate Condoleezza Rice.

Educated at Columbia University and Harvard Law, Senator Obama was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review, which many believe to be the apex of academic achievement.

Over the course of his career, Senator Obama has been a community organizer, a civil-rights lawyer, and a constitutional law professor.

Also among his stellar roles are dedicated husband and father.