Obama Foundation

Shoutout to our friend Eric Williams, owner of the The Silver Room and Bronzeville Winery, for hosting Hyde Park Academy students for our latest Futures Series. In 2020, Eric spoke with President Obama about his passion for creating opportunities for his South Side community. They also discussed the ways to leverage the expected boost in tourism from the future Obama Presidential Center. At yesterday’s Futures Series, Eric highlighted the importance of having a positive impact, making connections with your community, and being kind to the people around you. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible moms and mother figures around the world! Today is a celebration of the countless ways you nurture, support, and inspire those around you. 💕 To honor the impact their own mothers have had in their lives, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have dedicated spaces for Ann Dunham and Marian Robinson on the Obama Presidential Center campus. The Ann Dunham Water Garden will be an intimate space that honors the life and legacy of President Obama’s mother. The Water Garden will include a stone sculptural water feature created by world renowned artist and architect, Maya Lin. Inside the Museum, the permanent “Opening the White House” exhibit will honor Marian Robinson. It will be a space where museum visitors can discover the ways the Obamas worked to make the White House “the People’s House” and feature miniature models of seminal spaces including the East Room, the State Dining Room, and the South Lawn.

Our team is hard at work bringing the Museum at the Obama Presidential Center to life and we want to hear from you. Ahead of International Museum Day next week, let us know what you’re most excited to explore once we open our doors by filling out this form: https://lnkd.in/gF9ncYCu Is it Mrs. Obama’s iconic dresses? Excerpts from President Obama’s powerful speeches? Or is it artifacts from the grassroots movement that are anchored in hope? Share your thoughts and please note your answers may be used in a future post.

“The number of people who operated at the very highest levels for a sustained period of time; that’s something I appreciate even more a decade later.” In 2021, President Obama sat down with Admiral Bill McRaven, the commander of the special operations forces who executed the bin Laden raid 13 years ago today. Seated in front of a flag signed and presented to President Obama by the team who went on the raid, the two reflected on the thousands of people who made that mission possible, the sacrifices of our service members, and what that moment meant to the country. Here’s a look at their conversation: https://lnkd.in/gisq4Wv

In 2014, First Lady Michelle Obama launched Reach Higher, an education initiative that encourages American high school students to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year university. 10 years later, Reach Higher’s work continues and their goal remains the same – to help the next generation of young people succeed. 🎓 Congratulations to Reach Higher for a decade of impact and good luck to all the students celebrating their #CollegeSigningDay over the next few months!

Last year, First Lady MK Pritzer formally recognized April 24 as Richard Hunt Day in Illinois – honoring the prolific Chicago sculptor and his life-long commitment to the arts. We joined the world in mourning Richard’s death last December, but are deeply honored to house his “Book Bird” sculpture at the Obama Presidential Center’s campus. Located in the Library Reading Garden outside the new Chicago Public Library branch, Richard’s statue will depict a bird taking flight from a book, illuminating how learning allows readers to enter new places and fly free. Dive deeper in Richard Hunt’s legacy and work: https://lnkd.in/ggpEKaHX

Chag Sameach to everyone celebrating the start of Passover this evening. May the story of the Exodus remind us that there is always a reason to hope.

🌏 Happy Earth Day! Today we’re celebrating some of the ways the Obama Presidential Center will be a model of sustainability. The 19-acre campus will be home to a landscape brimming with new life, including native plants, trees, birds, insects, and other pollinators. The Center’s landscape design has also been developed with the help of Chicago Botanic Garden. Bringing their expertise in horticulture, science, and education to the project, the Chicago institution has made recommendations on species that are appropriate for the Chicago climate, and helped with accessibility and other details important to us. https://lnkd.in/gyRWhnw8

What a day in Jackson Park! Ahead of Earth Day, we joined our friends from Emerald South, Jackson Park Conservancy, and the Chicago Parks Foundation — alongside incredible volunteers — to lay wood chips and clean up our shared space. 

As the home of the future Obama Presidential Center, Jackson Park holds special importance to us. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

We believe art plays an important role in our mission to inspire, empower, and connect the next generation of changemakers. That’s why last fall we teamed up with a talented group of students from Dyett High School for the Arts to create a special art mural that is now displayed on the construction fence of the Obama Presidential Center. This past Friday, Dyett High School students joined gallerist Isimeme “Easy” Otabor and artist Michael C. Thorpe for a conversation on the importance of art and a tour of EXPO Chicago. Building on the legacy of President and Mrs. Obama’s commitment to arts education during their time at the White House, the Obama Presidential Center will continue that commitment through artist collaborations, educational art programs, and other exciting events for the community.