# A People Called to Do Big Things by Barack Obama > “Even when our political system is consumed by small things, we are a people called to do big things.” > **— Barack Obama**, *Simple Reminders on Real American Pride* ## Sources and Context - **Direct or authoritative text:** [Commencement Address at the University of California, Irvine, June 14, 2014 — The American Presidency Project](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/commencement-address-the-university-california-irvine-anaheim-california) - **Series source and editorial context:** [[american/American Ethos - Simple Reminders on Real American Pride|Simple Reminders on Real American Pride]] — entry 008, “A People Called to Do Big Things.” - **Why it belongs:** The sentence calls civic life back from distraction to scale and consequence. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/American|American Collection]] - **Series source:** [[american/American Ethos - Simple Reminders on Real American Pride|Simple Reminders on Real American Pride]] - **American route:** [[american/American Ethos - The Next 250|The Next 250]] - **American route:** [[american/American Ethos - Civic Literacy|Civic Literacy]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/American Pride|American Pride]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “Even when our political system is consumed by small things, we are a people called to do big things.” — Barack Obama, Simple Reminders on Real American Pride https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-real-american-pride-008-a-people-called-to-do-big-things ```