Samuel Graham-Felsen is an American blogger and journalist who was the blog director of the presidential campaign of

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

in 2008.

Biography

Early life

Graham-Felsen grew up in

Jamaica Plain Jamaica Plain is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Roxbury. The community seceded from Roxbur ...

, a neighborhood in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Massachusetts. He attended Boston public schools, including the William Monroe Trotter school and

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a Magnet school, magnet Latin schools, Latin Grammar schools, grammar State school, state school in Boston, Massachusetts. It has been in continuous operation since it was established on April 23, 1635. It is the old ...

. He graduated cum laude from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 2004 with a degree in social studies. He was a writer and columnist for ''

The Harvard Crimson ''The Harvard Crimson'' is the student newspaper at Harvard University, an Ivy League university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. The newspaper was founded in 1873, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduate students. His ...

'', the daily student newspaper of the university.

Career

From 2004 to 2007, he worked for ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

'' magazine, covering youth politics. He also produced videos for

Current TV Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a small ...

, filing reports from France, Cambodia, and Pakistan. From 2008 to 2009 he was content director at

Blue State Digital Blue State Digital is an adtech that specializes in online fundraising, and campaign consultancy. The company was founded by 4 former staffers of the Howard Dean 2004 presidential campaign. The company became notable after providing digital stra ...

, a Washington, D.C.–based Internet strategy and technology firm. He is currently a featured speaker for the American Program Bureau and travels worldwide covering his experience with the Obama campaign and other new media campaigns. His debut, coming-of-age novel, ''Green'', was published in January, 2018, by Random House. A tale of growing up in Boston as one of few white students in a predominantly Black and Hispanic middle school, his book received praise from The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and the New Yorker, which called it,“A coming-of-age tale of uncommon sweetness and feeling.”

Obama campaign

Graham-Felsen was a member of the presidential campaign staff of Barack Obama in 2008. As the blog director of the New Media committee, he wrote for and oversaw BarackObama.com/blog, worked with key national and state bloggers to promote the campaign's message, helped direct the campaign's online rapid response operation, and produced and collaborated on dozens of online videos for the campaign.

Personal life

Graham-Felsen is married. He lives in New York.

References

External links

Organizing for America, Sam Graham-Felsen's BlogGraham-Felsen, Blue State DigitalWebsite of Sam Graham-Felsen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham-Felsen, Sam American bloggers Living people The Harvard Crimson people Political campaign staff Year of birth missing (living people) People from Jamaica Plain Boston Latin School alumni Harvard College alumni