Angela Spear reflects on her experience of the years of the Obama presidency, and discusses the letter that she wrote to the president on behalf of her daughter and the response they received from Obama. Spear describes her upbringing in Spokane, Washington, and journey to Meridian, Idaho, where she lives with her husband and three children. She outlines the political culture of the area, the polit ical and policy issues with which she is most engaged, and her impressions of Barack Obama from the 2008 campaign and throughout his presidency. Spear also tells the story of her daughter's return from elementary school one day shortly after Obama's election in 2008 with negative impressions of the new president, and the discussions they shared that led to Spear writing to the president in the White House on her daughter's behalf. Also discussed are the impact of the financial crisis and recession in Meridian; the implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative; and the significance of Mitt Romney's Republican presidential nomination in 2012 for the reception of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States, such as Spear and her family
Presidents--United States; Presidents--Correspondence.--United States; Global Financial Crisis, 2008-2009--United States; Common Core State Standards (Education); Religion and politics--United States; Spear, Angela; Obama, Barack; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
22 pages
Note (Biographical)
Angela Spear is a college teacher and resident of Meridian, Idaho, where she lives with her husband and three children. Spear grew up in Spokane, Washington, and earned an undergraduate degree in geography from Brigham Young University and a master's degree in geoscience from Mississippi State University. In May 2009, she wrote a letter to President Obama on behalf of her young daughter, Kathleen, who had heard negative things about the new president from friends at school. Obama replied to the Spears to thank Kathleen for the drawing she sent to the White House, and to commend Angela for her wise parenting
Note
Interviewed by Nicole R. Hemmer on July 13, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Angela M. Spear, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023