Fact check: Did obama attend harvard

1. Summary of the results

Yes, Barack Obama definitively attended Harvard Law School from 1988 to 1991 ^[1]. Multiple independent sources confirm that he graduated magna cum laude in 1991 ^{[2] [3] [4]}. During his time there, he made history by becoming the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review ^{[2] [3]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question omits several important contextual details:

• Obama's academic excellence is demonstrated by his high LSAT scores (between 170-175) which facilitated his admission to Harvard Law School ^[1]
• Prior to Harvard, Obama attended Columbia University, where his presence is well-documented through:
• Testimony from former roommates
• Recollections from professors
• Published writings in the Columbia Sundial magazine in 1983 ^[5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The simple yes/no nature of the original question fails to capture the significance of Obama's achievements at Harvard. Additionally, it's worth noting that there have been attempts to question Obama's educational background, particularly his time at Columbia University. However, these claims have been thoroughly debunked by multiple sources and personal accounts ^[5].

The question of Obama's education has often been weaponized in political discourse:

• Those questioning his credentials often had political motivations to delegitimize his achievements
• The fact that he was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review ^{[2] [3]} makes his attendance particularly significant in terms of racial barriers being broken in elite educational institutions