$850 million Obama Presidential Center gives ‘stolen land’ tribute: ‘Then give it back’

Hope for whom? What the Obama Center teaches us about urban renewal

On June 18, 2026, the Barack Obama Presidential Center opened with a ceremony in Chicago's Jackson Park. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden were there. Jennifer Hudson...

$850 million Obama Presidential Center gives ‘stolen land’ tribute: ‘Then give it back’

The $850 million Obama Presidential Center opened last week in Chicago — but not without a performative “land acknowledgement.”“We’d also like to take a moment to recognize the original inhabitants of the land upon which we are gathered today,” Valerie Jarrett, chief executive officer of the Obama Foundation, said. “We honor the Anishinaabe, the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi nations.”“First of all,” BlazeTV ho…