We The People: What The Obama Presidential Center Means To Chicago

On Juneteenth, the Obama Presidential Center, located on Chicago’s South Side, will finally open to the public. The center is more than a presidential library; it is also a museum, a recreation center, and a place for community organizers to gather. NewsOne spoke with Jahmal Cole, founder and executive director of My Block, My Hood, My City, to talk about what the Obama Presidential Center means to Chicago and the importance of community organizing.

“The Obama Cultural Center coming to the South Side of Chicago is so needed, especially today, because it gives hope,” Cole says. While Chicago has long been associated with crime and gun violence, Cole says that the Obama Presidential Center “allows us to change the narrative.” 

Cole credits former President Barack Obama as “kind of the number one community organizer.” Obama spent his post-undergrad years organizing on Chicago’s South Side, and the skills he gained were instrumental in his historic presidential campaign leading up to the 2008 election. 

Throughout the video, Cole can be seen visiting various Chicago neighborhoods and speaking with the people who live and work in them. “Physical presence is so important to community building because if you don’t walk the block, you can’t fall in love with it,” Cole says. 

Cole is demonstrating the importance of physical presence in community organizing through his Live 77 endeavor. “I’m living in each of Chicago’s 77 communities for one month at a time,” Cole explains. “A healthy community looks like people talking to each other, meeting with each other, doing something, taking action.” 

Cole extends this philosophy to Chicago’s youth through My Block, My Hood, My City’s Explorers program. The program was created after Cole volunteered at Cook County Jail, and a teenager told him he had never been to downtown Chicago. Explorers is an afternoon program that allows Chicago youth to expand their horizons beyond their block and see all the opportunities Chicago’s various communities offer. 

“The best communities in Chicago are places where people say here’s the problem in my neighborhood, here’s what I’m going to do about it, and here’s the we part, I’m going to work with my neighbors to figure it out and solve the problem,” Cole says in the video. 

The words “We the People” appear atop the Obama Presidential Center. In the video, Cole reflects on what those words mean to him. “If we really do believe in the founding documents, and we the people, then we better start listening to the people,” Cole says. “The best way for me to help people is showing up where they’re at, asking them questions, listening, and learning with them.” 

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