Obama Center an investment in growth and justice

“This is an economic engine, not just for the South Side of Chicago … most certainly here, but it’s going to be an engine for the city and the region. It’s going to be a beacon of hope to the world at a time where I think we can all use a little hope.” — Valerie Jarrett

At a moment when a sitting president squanders resources on hollow symbols of personal aggrandizement, the Barack Obama Presidential Center stands as a transformative investment in community, economy and civic life.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Obama Presidential Center, and I plan to attend its grand opening on Juneteenth. I found it to be a powerful testament to leadership, community and the ongoing mission to create opportunity.

Rooted in the values of service, democracy and advancement, this critical space reminds us what’s possible when we invest in people, in hope and in shared progress.

President Obama has called the Center “a living destination for people who refuse to accept the status quo.”

Economic projections tied to the Center estimate hundreds of thousands of annual visitors and billions in long-term economic activity, with thousands of jobs created during construction and ongoing operations. In communities that have endured decades of disinvestment, that level of investment represents economic mobility for residents who have too often been left out of the wealth generated in their own neighborhoods.

Like Chicago, cities across the country are grappling with the challenge of attracting investment while protecting vulnerable communities from displacement. The Obama Presidential Center is unfolding in real time as an example that policymakers, advocates and developers alike will study closely.

The Center can demonstrate that economic development and equity are not competing goals but complementary ones. It can show that inclusive planning, community input and enforceable protections can produce growth that benefits everyone.

Our own Urban League Empowerment Center was conceived in this very same spirit, with a projected economic impact of $300 million right here in Harlem.

But the Center’s mission, like our own, goes beyond economic impact. As Chicago Tribune art critic Lori Waxman wrote, “Visiting the OPC felt like being in an alternate reality. One where people of diverse origin, ability, and belief co-exist peacefully and productively; the value of the environment, public space, human health, and the arts finds expression everywhere, for everyone; and the future appears collaborative and hopeful.”

More than a traditional presidential library, the Center’s Forum includes the Hadiya Pendleton Atrium, a media suite for recording music and podcasts and the Elie Wiesel Auditorium for performances and lectures. The campus includes a regulation-size basketball court, a branch of the Chicago Public Library and the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden. The campus playground even includes a sledding hill; Michelle Obama had always wished for one when she was growing up in the largely flat neighborhood.

The Obama Presidential Center is a reminder that development can be a catalyst for both growth and justice. When we center community, honor history and invest with thoughtful intention, we can build institutions that uplift neighborhoods rather than displace them. At a time when our nation is searching for models of progress that are inclusive and sustainable, the Center offers a hopeful blueprint.

Marc Morial is National Urban League president and CEO.

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