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Dear editor,

As we all know from numerous Chicago City Council debates, protests, and letters to the Hyde Park Herald, many South Side Chicagoans have been outraged that the Obama Presidential Center has been locatedor not locatedin their neighborhood. Clearly, no location will satisfy all constituencies, so heres a modest proposal: Why dont we build hundreds of Obama Centers in neighborhoods all over the South Side?

Talented and charismatic politicians such as Barack Obama appeal to individuals in a variety of ways. For instance, Obama has always been a Rorschach test for left-of-center voters who have endlessly debated whether he is a pragmatic centrist or closet radical. But what if everyone on the South Side could create their own Obama Center and reimagine for themselves and others which Obama is important to them? In Obamas adopted hometown, centers would no doubt celebrate his history-making status as the first black president, his policy victories, his soaring rhetoric, and his community work here in Chicago. By contrast, local conservativesand college students who think they are funny might feel compelled to design ironic Obama Centers. And, of course, postmodern Obama Centers (perhaps actual houses of cards?) might serve as commentaries on the very notion of an Obama Center or whether Americans should practice politics as a form of hero-worship.

More practically, each South Side resident with an available room would have space for an Obama Center. The layout and memorabilia would vary depending on room size and building access. (Renters could negotiate with landlords about center aesthetics and permanency.) Those with two extra rooms could have two Obama Centers, each with a separate interpretation of Obamas significance, or maybe just one for Barack and one for Michelle. Side hustles for empty nesters might include remaking recently vacated rooms as Obama Centers, Airbnbs, or gift shops. Businesses could also get into the act: staff at Valois Restaurant could do a podcast from Baracks Tableplaced right across from Slims Table. And perhaps an Obamacare Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center? Repurposing existing real estate as Obama Centers could bring needed investments to many (not just one) South Side neighborhoods without costly, large-scale construction compromising existing neighborhood cultures, spaces, or parks. This solution would thus honor not only Obama but also Jane Jacobss New Urbanism.

The possibilities are endless. Many Obama Centers would be solely online, but some people could also reinvent themselves as Obama Centers and I dont just mean tattoos or plastic surgery. Could a new performance art form, the Obama Center, come into existence on historically significant street corners, like where the Obamas first kissed on 53rd and Dorchester? Of course, academics at Chicago universities would also study the economic and cultural impacts of various Obama Centers. And Obama Center tourism would become the fashion for political wannabes thumbing Obama-centered travel books at the Seminary Coop Bookstore (e.g., Lonely Planet: Obama Center).

Our belated solution would also stimulate surprisingly useful political debates, even if the official Obama Presidential Center has already been built in Jackson Park. For although the official center might be a resonant physical analogue for Obamas now monumental career, having hundreds more Obama Centers would also encourage people to visit neighborhoods new to them, to discuss politics with people there, and to put new political coalitions together. The resulting community organizing might productively highlight the now downplayed Chicago-based activist work of the younger Obama, thus reshaping ongoing discussions about his political legacy and the official center designed to promote that legacy. And isnt that, seriously, what presidential centers are supposed to do?

In jest,

William Weaver

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A belated solution to the Obama Presidential Center location debate - Hyde Park Herald

I first came across the term third culture kids(TCK) in 2008, when Barack Obama was running for election to become the first ever Black American president of the United States.

Obama, who is currently in Australia for a speaking tour, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He spent six years there before moving to Indonesia with his mother, who had recently remarried. He returned to Hawaii when he was 10 to continue his education.

Much like the former US president, I too lived in different countries growing up. I was born in Pakistan, then moved to the Gulf nation of Bahrain, and then my family moved again, making our home in Sydney.

Obama and I are third culture kids (TCK), a term coined by American sociologist Ruth Useem in the 1950s, to mainly describe the children of expatriates who spent a significant time during their childhood living in a culture other than their country of nationality or their parents country of nationality.

Obama has never been one to shy away from speaking about his identity. In his memoir, Dreams from My Father, Obama wrote about his childhood spent in Indonesia and Hawaii, and how these experiences shaped his sense of identity and perspective on the world. My identity might begin with the fact of my race, but it didnt, couldnt, end there. At least thats what I would choose to believe, he wrote. In his now infamous speech during his first presidential campaign, then Senator Obama spoke passionately about his race and identity: I am the son of a Black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Pattons Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. Ive gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the worlds poorest nations.

He went on to say, At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either too Black or not Black enough.

This feeling of not belonging as if youre neither here nor there is commonly felt by many TCK

This feeling of not belonging as if youre neither here nor there is commonly felt by many TCK.

In an article in The New York Times about TCK, Noor Brara wrote: If asked, any third-culture kid will tell you that shape-shifting rousing one of the many selves stacked within you to best suit the place youre in becomes a necessary survival skill, a sort of feigned fitting in that allows you to relate something of yourself to nearly everyone you meet.

Its something I have felt personally, as if my identity was scattered across continents, especially when I was growing up. Its also something Ive tried to tap into in my own writing.

In the novel I wrote,The Matchmaker, the protagonist Kal discovers he is a TCK. Kal reads in a book: TCK were adaptable, did well in social situations, made friends easily. They were not of one place but of many. But despite the positives, TCK often felt alone, not knowing where exactly to call home or which culture to identify with. As soon as he does, everything clicks into place and he realises just having a label to his identity helps him navigate the world better.

And while it can be confusing, at least initially, to figure out your identity, a recent studyfound that, Contrary to previous knowledge, this review found that TCKs are not confused by the multiplicity of their identity.

Obamas own complex identity helped him, at least a little bit, to become relatable to vast swathes of people not just in America, but around the world. It is why so many of us turn up to listen to him speak to this day.

Obama once said: .... what I benefited from is a multiplicity of cultures that all fed me

I was raised as an Indonesian child and a Hawaiian child and as a Black child and as a white child, Obama once said. And so what I benefited from is a multiplicity of cultures that all fed me.

Its this feeling of being fed by multiple cultures rather than being alienated by them, that perhaps TCK can turn to, especially when we feel we dont belong.

In my case, I was confused about who I was and where I belonged as I was growing up - a feeling that spilled into my 20s. As Ive become older, Ive come to realise that identities are complex. They are shaped not only by where we grew up or the places we lived, but by so many other factors too. In many ways, Ive made peace with the fact that my identity doesnt neatly fit in a box. My multifaceted identity has helped shape me into the person I am today.

Saman Shadis an author and freelance writer. Her debut novel,The Matchmaker,is out now through Penguin Australia.

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Barack Obama - the most famous Third Culture Kid - SBS

Michelle Obama and Ellen DeGeneres talk fear on the latest episode of Obamas Audible podcast, The Light We Carry.

The conversation about fear comes up in The Light We Carrys fourth episode, called Decoding Fear. Both women discuss how fear has played a part in their lives.

The post Michelle Obama Discusses Fear With Ellen DeGeneres: They Took The Image Of A Smart Black Woman And Turned It Into A Threat appeared first on Blavity.

According to the official description:

Ellen DeGeneres and Michelle discuss the role fear plays in their liveswhy its important, the people who would weaponize it, and ways to turn the things that terrify you into rocket fuel. Michelle also tells the story of being forced to decide whether her husband would run for president and the time that inviting a Star Wars character to the White House ended up scarring one of her daughters. Plus, a special lesson on starting kind.

In the exclusive clip embedded below, DeGeneres commends Obama on maneuvering fear throughout her stint as First Lady.

They took the image of a smart, articulate, outspoken black woman and they turned it into a threat. So yes, it definitely hurt, said Obama. It was stunning at first, because when you see yourself in a way thats not you, you wonder how easily your whole persona can be manipulated when youre in the public eye.

Obama added that the medias focus on spewing negative has become the easy go-to.

What prevents you from seeing my humanity? Something is broken, she said.

The Light We Carry is produced by Audible and the Obamas production company, Higher Ground. The podcast examines how people can overcome obstacles in their lives as long as they remember their personal power.

Per the logline:

Listen as Mrs. Obama and her friends explore themes like building meaningful relationships; issues connected to race, gender, and visibility; the habits and principles they have used to successfully adapt to change and overcome obstacles; and the importance of lighting up for others to reveal the richness and potential around us. As ever, Michelle Obama brings her trademark humor, candor, and compassion while she discusses her tools for living in todays world.

Listen to the clip below:

Audible Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast for Blavity

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Michelle Obama Discusses Fear With Ellen DeGeneres: They Took The Image Of A Smart Black Woman And Turned It Into A Threat - Yahoo News

Linda Furuto

Changemakers around the world are selected annually by Obama Foundation Leaders to inspire and accelerate positive change in their communities. For 2023, University of Hawaii at Mnoa College of Education (COE) Professor of Mathematics Education, Linda Furuto, has been chosen to be one of 105 global leaders.

Furuto will be among just 34 leaders participating in the Asia-Pacific program, representing a cohort of 22 countries/territories across the region. The 2023 cohort of Asia-Pacific Leaders are focusing on a broad range of issues, including the climate crisis, Indigenous rights, education and more.

I cant think of anyone more qualified than Linda to represent the COE as an Obama Leader, said Department of Curriculum Studies Chair Patricia Espiritu Halagao. Her cutting-edge work with ethnomathematics and involvement as the UH ambassador to the Pacific Voyaging Society (PVS) Moananuikea Voyage will greatly contribute to better understanding how education can serve our global communities. And, above all, she exudes the values of a humble, caring and committed servant leader.

During the six-month, non-residential Obama Leaders program, Furuto will participate in weekly virtual skill-building workshops, network building opportunities and a variety of moderated conversations with members of the Obama Foundation global network. Upon completion of the program, leaders join the Obama Foundations alumni community as the next generation of civically active, positive role models who are prepared to create tangible solutions to the challenges of our time.

Furuto is the director of the Ethnomathematics Graduate Certificate and Master of Education in Curriculum Studies Mathematics Education programs at COE. She led the highly acclaimed Ethnomathematics and STEM Institute for 10 years, garnering a 2019 UH Presidents Green Initiative Award and 2022 PBS Hawaii Home is Here feature for exploring sustainability, stewardship and ancestral knowledge through mathematical sciences. This institute would become the first ethnomathematics academic program in the world.

Prior to joining the COE in 2013, Furuto was an associate professor of mathematics and head of mathematics and science at UH West Oahu. A UH Board of Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching recipient, she is also an apprentice navigator and education specialist with PVS, and is part of the 20232026 Moananuikea Voyage of the Pacific.

I am truly grateful to be part of the UH Mnoa College of Education surrounded by inspiring students, staff, faculty and communities grounded in a sense of purpose and a sense of place, said Furuto. By collectively expanding our perspectives on how we intentionally wayfind 360 , I believe we can create a world where every child knows know who they are, where they come from, and where they are going through values-based STEM education. I look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen the P-20 pipeline by creating alternative STEM pathways to traditional learning goals in ethnomathematics and STEM.

Read the full story at the COE website.

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UH professor selected as 2023 Obama Foundation Global Leader ... - University of Hawaii

March 27, 2023

Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and 17 of their Senate colleagues in a letter to President Biden raising concerns over reports the Administration is considering a return to the ineffective and inhumane Trump-era practice of detaining migrant families, after previously putting an end to family detention in December 2021.

Under both the Obama and Trump Administrations, family detention had disastrous effects on migrant families and children, without any corresponding improvement in border security or deterrence.We urge you to learn from the mistakes of your predecessors and abandon any plans to implement this failed policy, the Senators wrote.

In the letter, the Senators cite that family detention does not appear to have deterred border crossings. Instead, it has corresponded with an increase in unique encounters of children and individuals in families by an average of 57 percent per year between 2015 and 2019.U.S. Border Patrol agents have also reportedly cautioned the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and White House officials that reinstating the Trump-era policy wont deter border crossings. Additionally, two of DHSs own medical consultants concludedafter a series of ten investigations during both the Obama and Trump Administrationsthat family detention centers posed a high risk of harm to children and their families.

The recent past has taught us that family detention is both morally reprehensible and ineffective as an immigration management tool. We look forward to working closely with your Administration on more thoughtful and humane responses to such challenges, the Senators concluded.

The Senators also offered alternatives such as case management programs, which have proven far more humane and cost-effective.Congress recently appropriated $20 million dollars to DHS to implement alternatives to detention to ensure that families, children, and other individuals seeking asylum comply with the law, without harming children and families.

In addition to Cortez Masto and Durbin, U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) signed the letter.

The first and only Latina Senator and Nevadas former top law enforcement official, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently worked to pass meaningful immigration reform that balancescritical border security measureswith a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers. She recently reintroduced legislation to make commonsense fixes to our broken immigration system and crack down on notario fraud. She has also led legislation to require alternatives to detention (ATD) programs, including community-based supervision and community support, as immigrants await the outcome of their immigration cases.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Mr. President:

We are concerned by reports that your Administration is considering a return to the ineffective and inhumane practice of detaining migrant families. Your Administration was right to put an end to family detention in December 2021. Under both the Obama and Trump Administrations, family detention had disastrous effects on migrant families and children, without any corresponding improvement in border security or deterrence. We urge you to learn from the mistakes of your predecessors and abandon any plans to implement this failed policy.

The Obama Administration restarted the practice of detaining families in 2014, and the Trump Administration continued this policy. We have therefore had ample opportunity to observe the devastating impacts of family detention on the well-being of children. The American Academy of Pediatrics found that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities for detaining families did not meet the basic standards for the care of children in residential settings. The American Medical Association has long opposed family immigration detention, separation of children from their parents in detention, and any plans to expand these detention centers because of the negative health consequences that detention has on both children and their parents. Additionally, two of DHSs own medical consultants concludedafter a series of ten investigations during both the Obama and Trump Administrationsthat DHS family detention centers posed a high risk of harm to children and their families.

We have also learned that detaining families is ineffective and impractical as an immigration management tool. Family detention does not appear to have deterred desperate families from attempting to come to the United Statesinstead, the implementation of this policy corresponded with an increase in unique encounters of children and individuals in families by an average of 57 percent per year between 2015 and 2019. DHS spent more than $866 million over a three-year period to maintain space to detain just over 3,000 family units per year.

For those who do not pose a threat to our communities or flight risk, alternatives to detention have proven far more humane and cost-effective than detention. For example, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Family Case Management Program had 100 percent attendance at court proceedings for enrollees, and an estimated cost of approximately $36 per person per day, versus approximately $319 per day for an ICE family detention bed. Congress recently appropriated $20 million dollars to DHS to implement such case management programs. These programs ensure that families, children, and other individuals seeking asylum comply with the law, without harming children and families.

We understand that your Administration faces significant challengesparticularly in light of Congressional failure to pass immigration reformto manage an influx of asylum seekers arriving at our southern border. However, the recent past has taught us that family detention is both morally reprehensible and ineffective as an immigration management tool. We look forward to working closely with your Administration on more thoughtful and humane responses to such challenges.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

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Cortez Masto and Colleagues Urge President Biden Against the Use ... - Catherine Cortez Masto