The Obama Presidential Center will be a place where art, music and creativity are celebrated and public art will be made available for residents on the South Side, former first lady Michelle Obama said Wednesday.
During her remarks at the Obama Foundation’s international summit at the Marriott Marquis near McCormick Place, Obama discussed her modest upbringing in Chicago, her time in the White House and the need for leaders to be mindful about what they say on social media.
But she also emphasized how music and art shaped her sense of self and how she wants to share that with her community.
“When you think about how little public art there is on the South Side … (that) is one of the things we hope to do with the Obama Presidential Center,” she said. “There need to be places for public art outside. Just like downtown. Just like Picasso. Just like The Bean. There’s nothing. Those pieces in communities are few and far in between. And they become the gathering places for a community, not just a place to see beauty and possibility.”
Obama appeared as a main session speaker on the second day of the summit, the foundation’s largest program of the year.
The gathering has drawn international attention. In addition to the Obamas, attendees included Prince Harry of Wales, hip-hop artists Common and Chance the Rapper and a large contingent of artists, thought leaders and residents who have started nonprofit organizations and foundations.
Singer-songwriter Andra Day kicked off the concert marking the end of the summit Wednesday night with her hit “Rise Up.” The show started 20 minutes late in a half-full Wintrust Arena, the new DePaul basketball arena on East Cermak Road.
The Obamas took the stage to express hope that the summit inspires future leaders and to heap praise on Chance the Rapper, who curated the concert. Gloria Estefan also performed.
The summit is being closely watched because the event signals how the Obamas will spend their time after leaving the White House. And the event sets the tone for the foundation’s goal of bringing hundreds of leaders to Chicago to share ideas with each other and the world.
Speakers on Wednesday told personal stories of how they were moved to action.
Common told “Hamilton” playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda that he only recently began performing in prisons and working for policy efforts to address mass incarceration because an acquaintance pushed him to do more.
“My gateway, my entryway was connecting with somebody who was already doing the work,” he said. “Sometimes we think we’ve got to come up with the solutions, come up with all the answers. It starts with the desire and the passion. When you seek that out, you take one step. God takes two steps toward you.”
In his remarks, Bryan Stevenson, who founded a nonprofit that is committed to ending mass incarceration after spending years defending wrongly convicted black men, told attendees that in order to make a change, they have to get closer to the poor, disabled and excluded. He said they would need to change the narrative of fear and anger and the narrative of racial difference. And they have to be willing to do uncomfortable things.
“We have the people in this space to change the world,” Stevenson said. “You should not doubt the power in getting close to the people that you serve. Get close to the people we want to serve and we will find our power.”
Former President Barack Obama popped in on one of Wednesday morning’s breakout sessions.
He sat quietly and mostly unnoticed in the back while a panel of five discussed ways to get younger and nontraditional residents interested in public service. At one point, he stood along the back wall listening intently, gripping his coffee cup.
It wasn’t until panel moderator Caroline Kennedy, a former U.S. ambassador to Japan, asked if anyone in the back of the room would like to speak that the former South Side community activist jumped into the conversation.
“Politics matters,” he said. “The question then becomes, ‘How do we change the culture so that people are not turned off by politics but rather turned on by being engaged in politics?’ And how do we get some of the best talent to say, at some point, this is an option for them?”
The former president said communities have to be engaged and ready to actively support public servants and elected officials.
“You will be able to recruit good candidates when they feel there is a base, a constituency that is going to support them,” he said. “Right now, we’re in a negative cycle, young people are cynical about politics, they don’t vote, and as a consequence, young, dynamic candidates won’t win.”
At the summit, much of the public conversation revolved around the language and rhetoric that drove Barack Obama’s election and his time in office. Guests talked of “creating positive change,” “equity and opportunity for all” and “leaving the world a better place.”
But there was little direct public talk about racism, police brutality or the growing racial wealth gap that has left African-Americans, Latinos and people living in this country illegally vulnerable and struggling.
There was no mention of President Donald Trump or his policies.
But when Michelle Obama spoke about using words and language responsibly, many in the audience laughed, implying that she was referring to the current president.
“You don’t tweet every thought,” she said, drawing applause. “I’m not talking about anybody in particular. Tweeting and social media, that is a powerful weapon. … You need to think and spell it right and have good grammar.
“Every word you utter has consequences,” she continued. “You can’t slash and burn up folks because you think you are right. You have to treat people like they are precious — even those you don’t agree with.”
Instead of directly ruminating about public policy or this moment of upheaval, the guests used the stage to talk about their motivations and what drives their work.
“When it comes to human dignity, there is no such thing as an unlikely ally,” said Ai-jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, who spoke on a panel about workplace issues. “We have to take more risks and be morally courageous in our leadership than we can imagine,” she said.
“Most of the challenges we are dealing with are not problems any one company can solve alone,” she said. “All of us need to be in deep, risky conversation.”
During her session, Michelle Obama was interviewed by her friend, poet and essayist Elizabeth Alexander.
Much of her conversation was about how her parents, especially her mother, continue to influence her decisions and how she carries herself. She stayed true to the themes she has talked about before: surrounding herself with good girlfriends who make her laugh, the importance of parents advocating for their children, and spending time with children during her time in the White House.
She said the summit was filling her with inspiration.
“Hope is right in this room,” she said. “This summit, all of you here, the conversations, your voices, your missions, the goals … the possibilities you all have to be leaders in the world. I can sleep better after this because it’s not just happening here, it’s happening around the world.”
Tracy Swartz contributed.
lbowean@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @lollybowean
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