On This Day in 2008: Barack Obama Becomes First Black Major-Party Presidential Nominee

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Then-Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama embraces his wife, Michelle Obama, after delivering his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver on Aug. 28, 2008. Obama had become the first Black presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party the day before. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
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(AURN News) — On Aug. 27, 2008, Barack Obama made history at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, becoming the first Black presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party.

Obama was officially nominated as the Democratic Party’s candidate for president, becoming the first Black person chosen as a presidential nominee by a major American political party.

The moment marked a historic breakthrough in U.S. politics and reflected the extraordinary rise of a first-term senator from Illinois who had launched his presidential campaign less than two years earlier.

Barack Obama delivers his acceptance speech on the final night of the Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field in Denver on Aug. 28, 2008. Obama had become the first Black presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party the day before. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Obama went on to accept the nomination the following night before a massive crowd at Denver’s Invesco Field.

Just over two months later, on Nov. 4, 2008, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was elected the 44th president of the United States, becoming the nation’s first Black president and forever changing the course of modern American political history.

Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane

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