Barack Obama's multicultural background is more to talk about than the color of his skin.  Obama's parents were raised in different regions of the world--his mother from Kansas and his father from Kenya.  Obama was raised in both Hawaii and Indonesia by his mother and his step-father.  It wasn't until college that he moved to the U.S. mainland and graduated from Columbia University.  Next, he was heavily involved in working with church groups helping poor living conditions in Chicago.

After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1991, where he was the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, he moved back to Chicago--his work there was not done.  Obama served eight years in the Illinois State Senate before his current term in the U.S. Senate from Illinois.  In the state senate he worked most notably for tax cuts and childhood education.  More recently in the U.S. Senate, he is an advocate of ethics in government and pushes accountability, allowing all Americans to see how their tax dollars are spent. 

Obama is known for his bipartisan work in the Senate and his more moderate views.  Some of his other efforts include work in the Veteran's Affairs Committee and development of AIDS prevention and care programs.  One of the most recent bills he has introduced is a plan to get American troops out of Iraq by 2008.  Currently, Obama is the only African American U.S. Senator and the fifth in American history. 

Information from: http://www.barackobama.com/