Like many of you, I remember clearly the day President Barack Obama was elected to office. Back then, few could have guessed the changes that would occur and the important conversations that would come out of the world's observations of both him and his family. Eight years later, and it's almost time to say goodbye about one of the most popular first families in U.S. history. The Obama administration sparked a number of long overdue and important conversations about how far the country has come.

Race

The election of the first black president of course opened the door for an opportunity about race in America, a conversation no one has been able to have amicably to date. The endless stream of what some would call unwarranted criticism had many saying, "If Obama wasn't black" one thing or another wouldn't be acceptable. In many ways, I'm inclined to agree. In some ways, it seems as if the U.S. gave itself kudos for electing a man of color into office and figured, this was the cure to everything.

Of course this was far from the truth. When routine instances of brutality against African Americans went viral, courtesy of the internet and smartphones, Obama began to slowly address the hard reality that the country has not progressed as far as one would think.

Since social media was such a key factor in the election of Obama as president, it's only fitting that social media platforms later became the main stage for discussions about race relations in America. Hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and #BlackGirlMagic turned into movements that are highlighting the importance if equality fir people of color while highlighting all they have achieved despite the odds stacks against them.

Masculinity

President Obama has, in some ways, intentionally and unintentionally, made us rethink gender norms, particularly with regard to what is and isn't considered manly. Columnist David Brooks in 2016 claimed the presidents foreign policy wasn't "tough enough" and that he had a "manhood problem". For a time, commentators were obsessed with talking about his "mom jeans". In typical Obama style he cracked a joke about it and went on with business as usual. Unlike previous presidents who have been focused on objecting as manly an image as possible, the president keeps his cool.

The best part about Obama's refusal to give in to traditional notions of masculinity is that it's making every other man rethink them too. With changing perceptions abut women's equality comes changing ideas about men's masculinity. Not only are we seeing men be okay with showing their vulnerability and stand behind women who are striving to do better.

Feminism

It's almost impossible to talk about the President Obama without mentioning First Lady Michelle Obama. She is one of the only first ladies to do more with her role than simply pick out china patterns. While it may not seem revolutionary, Michelle Obama helped start a serious conversation about women that helped pave the way for a great deal of progress. The president mentioned in his Glamour essay how the first lady struggled with how she was perceived based on the combination of her gender and skin color. It's easy to see why, considering how often the Princeton and Yale graduate was reduced to little more than her looks.

First, it was the criticism abut Mrs. Obama showing her bare arms, note the surge in popularity of sleeveless dresses since she took office. There was also the complaint about her being so openly involved in politics. But one thing that the first lady hasn't shied away from is speaking about women's issues, spending her early years advocating for working women. Earlier this year, she launched the United State of Women Movement, hosting the first summit at the White House in June.

The fight for women's equality has gained new ground with lots of big names standing with the first lady in addressing the factors that still make it hard for women to get ahead. Recently, we've seen more women make strides academically, financially, and politically in terms of this year's election.

Popular Culture

Few first families have impacted popular culture the way the Obamas have. Aside from the endless stream of celebrities that have gone in and out of the White House over the past seven years, the president and first lady have made an impact on popular culture. Their down-to-earth persons have transitioned into mainstream media with more representations of happy black couples and thriving black families.

If the numerous references to Obama in music and television weren't enough, the president and first lady have also used popular channels to help bring attention to issues they care about, paving the way for other celebrities to do the same. The president and first lady have made the rounds on a number of daytime and nighttime talk shows. The first lady presented an Oscar with a group of service men and women behind her to bring attention to our armed forces.

With their own love story recently being turned into a major motion picture, Barack and Michelle have made a way for their to be more frequent and diverse representations of people of color in popular media. After the surge of the 1990s, there was only the occasional TV show and movie that explored the complexities of what it meant to be black in America.