Southside With You: Our Forever President's Center Is Opening to the Public

With LL Red Rocking away, I'll keep today's post short and sweet. 

Because with so much scum and villainy associated with the current administration, it's nice to remind ourselves that in the not-so-distant past, decent men and women actually lived and worked in the White House. 

And nobody was more decent than Barack and Michelle Obama. Which is why today, like many of you, I will be tuning in to watch the unveiling of the Barack Obama Presidential Center. Because, like Obama himself, this historic monument is about more than a single man. It is about a community; more specifically, the south side of Chicago. It is not some gaudy museum that serves only to sing the praises of the former commander-in-chief, but rather a 19-acre campus dedicated to providing programs and services to the community. In addition to four floors of exhibits that honor his presidency, Barack Obama also added several features that greatly enhance the community, including public gardens, an indoor basketball court, 20 unique public art installations, over 30 charcoal grills available for public use, a playground, and a brand new branch of the Chicago Public Library. The goal was always to create a space that the whole community could enjoy, and with everything except the exhibit building being free of charge, there can be no doubt that Barack Obama is well on his way to achieving his vision.

Today's opening concert and tomorrow's official grand opening on Juneteenth are historic days, ones that nobody can take away from us. Because, despite all the vitriol that came his way as president, Barack Obama succeeded. History will show that it was his presidency that broke the Republican Party so badly that they turned to a racist carnival barker from Queens as their party's figurehead for the next decade. A biracial kid from Hawaii was never supposed to reach the pinnacle of the political world, and when he did, a bunch of racist, bigoted White male Republicans vowed that nobody like him would ever do so again. So they elected Trump. Twice. They gutted affirmative action. They destroyed the Voting Rights Act. They punished educators and institutions for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. They denied military promotions to qualified men and women of color. They literally tried to whitewash history at our national parks. All because of a skinny kid with a funny (read: Muslim) name ruined White men's 220-year stranglehold on the highest office in the land. 

I personally can't help but laugh when Donald Trump posts racist shit about the Obama Presidential Center being a "Mecca" for those who hate America ten years from now, because nothing could be further from the truth. The Obama Presidential Center won't be a "Mecca" for those who hate America, but rather will be a destination for those of us who love and admire Barack and Michelle Obama. Because there is nothing more patriotic than visiting the presidential center of the country's first Black president. His center and the design behind it exemplify why so many of us care so greatly for the former first family. At its core, the center is a conversation starter about how ex-presidents can and should use their influence upon leaving office. Do they put up a single building that simply chronicles their time in office? Or do they think about the impact that a larger community-centered campus could have in a specific neighborhood? Barack Obama has once again upped his game in a way that sets the bar incredibly high for future presidents to think critically about the purpose of their own presidential centers. 

That's simply who Barack Obama is. A trailblazer in every sense of the word. You just knew that he would up his game when it came to his presidential center, and he did not disappoint. Throughout the Center's opening these next two days, you'll hear from artists, performers, and guests who will speak about Obama's grace and humility. They'll talk about what a gift this is to the city of Chicago and to the South Side neighborhood. They'll talk about the impact on the children and the next generation. And they'll talk about how the Center is truly a reflection of Barack Obama's audacity of hope, the same hope that drove him into public service and eventually the country's highest office. During a time when we often feel hopeless about our current political situation, these next 48 hours will be a welcome reprieve that could only be made possible by one single man who, time and time again, seems to rescue us all from the arduous abyss: 

Barack. Hussein. Obama.