Despite an overcast sky, a bus load of about 30 Madison area residents and friends traveled down Interstate 90 on their way to the Obama Presidential Center to visit the former president’s museum and library.
This excursion was organized by Deborah Newsome and a loosely organized group known as “Ladies Who Lunch (LWL).” Ladies Who Lunch was started many years ago by Yvonne Bowen who realized that Black women who were recent retirees from the University of Wisconsin had a desire to connect on a regular basis to keep up with what was going on in the university community. Later, that group expanded to include Black women retirees from the state, not just the university. Ultimately, the group included any Black women retirees in the area, regardless of previous employment. Today, Ladies Who Lunch meet one Tuesday a month (except September) to have lunch at various restaurants throughout the Madison area.
A few months ago, LWL regular, Deborah Newsome proposed that the group plan a visit to the newly opened Obama Presidential Center. The Center, located on Chicago’s South Side in Jackson Park, is a 19.3 acre campus that includes a museum, a forum, a library (that is a branch of the Chicago Public Library). The response to Newsome’s proposal was swift and several LWL members included their spouses as a part of the excursion. Although large parts of the campus are free, visitors to the museum are required to have tickets.
The LWL group were able to tour the museum which contains 9 floors—a lower level, 5 exhibit floors, and a skylight floor. Floors 6 and 7 are off limits to visits as they house the museum’s administrative offices and a presidential suite. The lower level contains a grab and go café and a gift shop. The first level is the entry pavilion with a theater. The first level is also where the museum’s full service restaurant is located. Level 2 is themed “Toward a More Perfect Union” and has a big display of 440 campaign buttons and is highlighted with a huge pillar with the words, “Yes We Can.”
On Level 3, “Working for the Common Good,” visitors learn about how the Obama administration worked to make changes in our nation. A section titled, “Democracy 101” focuses on civics basics in an interactive setting along with a “Panorama of a Presidency” which is an immersive media experience outlining a day in the life of the President. Level 4 is entitled, “The People’s House and contains a replica of the Obama Oval Office where visitors can walk in an be photographed behind the President’s desk. This level also includes a display of some of First Lady Michelle Obama’s iconic gowns and outfits.
Level 5, “We the People,” explores stories about people who work together for a better future, here in the US and across the world. The final level available to visitors is Level 8, the top of the building is the Sky Room, that takes in panoramic views of Chicago’s South Side framed by 5 foot high letters of the words from President Obama’s speech commemorating the march on Selma.
One of the benefits of touring the Obama Presidential Center was meeting visitors from all over. On the day LWL visited they met people from Maryland, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, and all parts of Illinois. The visitors consisted of people from a wide variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Clearly, the Center has the power to draw people from everywhere.
The Obama Presidential Center contains 28 commissioned works of art across the campus. One of the more popular works is a cast bronze sculpture of President and Mrs. Obama that many visitors used as a photo opportunity. Although the LWL group had a wonderful time, it was clear that 5 hours was barely enough time to take in all of wonderful things to see and learn. Most of the group members agreed that a return visit was on their to-do list.
