Former President Barack Obama Addresses Gentrification

Former President Barack Obama is facing a new kind of politics while working to support the development plan for the Barack Obama Presidential Center.

1 minute read

March 7, 2018, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Rosa Parks

President Obama sits on the Rosa Parks bus at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, April 18, 2012. | Barack Obama Presidential Library

The Obama Administration often failed to live up to the hopes of those who hoped a president from Chicago would prioritize the needs of cities at an unprecedented level, and since he left office, former President Barack Obama hasn't exactly had smooth sailing while seeking approval for the Barack Obama Presidential Center.

The Barack Obama Presidential Center is planned for a location in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago, where it's run into doubts and opposition concerning displacement, traffic circulation, an adjacent Tiger Woods-designed golf course, and the preservation of Jefferson Park, originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

With that context in mind former President Barack Obama recently appeared at a community forum in Chicago to answer public questions about the proposed Presidential Center, according to an article by Joe Cortright. Obama ended up devoting a lot of words to the subject of displacement, which you can watch in the video below. Cortright has also posted a transcription of Obama's remarks.

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