Backlash Builds as Locals Slam Obama Over New Changes to Controversial Presidential Library
Recent updates to the Obama Presidential Center have drawn criticism from some residents following the release of new renderings and details about the project’s design and construction plans. The Obama Foundation unveiled revised renderings this week intended to show how the center’s exterior and surrounding space will look once completed.
But the unusual design of former President Barack Obama’s new presidential center in Chicago is facing fresh criticism, this time due to complaints that a newly added inscription on the building is nearly illegible.
The text, which comes from a speech Obama gave in Selma, Alabama, in 2015 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic civil rights marches, has left many people squinting and scratching their heads because of its layout and the way it wraps around the structure.
“I’m outside the Obama Center museum tower right now. The new letters — an excerpt from Obama’s Selma speech — are tough read to me, giving off the lorem ipsum vibes,” Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bay wrote on LinkedIn, a reference to the Latin placeholder text often used in graphic design templates.
“The words are cut off. The Ts, Ls, and Is are indistinguishable,” former investment banker and best-selling author John LeFevre noted on X, adding that the structure “Looks like a trash can.”
Temple University Professor Jacob Shell also said that the E’s are also “indistinguishable from F’s,” and that “multiple words get disjointed — not just on one plane but two.”
“Truly, one of the most headache-inducing reading experiences I’ve ever had,” Shell said after trying to read the script.
“They somehow managed to make the Obama presidential library even uglier,” conservative influencer Johnny Maga said bluntly. “My gosh.”
In addition to the eyesore, many residents of Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood, near the Obama Presidential Center, face a difficult situation: they must either pay more rent or risk losing their house.
At Chaney Braggs Apartments, located at 65th Street and Stony Island Avenue, the nearly two dozen tenants announced the formation of a union.
According to the group, a potential buyer intends to either renovate or completely demolish their building. Rent would increase in either case.
According to the tenants, a few other organizations joined them on Thursday morning in an effort to maintain the affordability of their apartments.
“I want to stay right where I’m at. I don’t want to be forced out. I don’t want to be told I have to leave. I want to be able to stay,” said resident Kyana Butler. “I want to be able to let my daughter, and I want her to grow up in the same building I grew up in.”
Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation and a senior adviser during President Obama’s two terms, highlighted that he has played an active role in shaping the design of his library.
“I wish that people could be a fly on the wall to see how many times in the course of the day that I hear from President Obama about ideas for the center, tweaks, programming, and what we can do for the design,” Jarrett said when asked.
The Employee Humiliated a Poorly Dressed Old Woman in Line — Then One Truth Changed Everything
“You do realize how much time you’re wasting for other people?! Wrong documents again!” — the employee threw out with cold contempt, humiliating the poorly dressed old woman right in front of the entire line. But only a few minutes later, something happened that made the woman bitterly regret her words… 😳
— You do realize how much time you’re wasting for other people?! Wrong documents again! — the employee said irritably, not even trying to hide her contempt…
Old Marta silently pressed a worn blue folder to her chest. She had come to the pension office with only one request — to correct a mistake in the documents because of which several years of her work record had not been counted.
Those years could have increased her pension at least enough so that she would not have to save money on medicine during winter…
— But they told me only these were needed.
But that seemed to irritate the employee named Diana even more.
She demonstratively flipped through the papers, deliberately wasted time, sighed loudly, and rolled her eyes so the whole line could hear:
— At your age, you should already have learned how to prepare documents properly. Go and bring more certificates. Next!
People in the line began to grow nervous. Someone clicked their tongue in annoyance, someone looked at Marta as if she were the one to blame for the delay.
And Diana seemed to enjoy the humiliation — her voice grew louder and her smile more venomous…
Marta slowly stepped aside toward the wall, lowering her head. It looked as if she was about to cry. But a few minutes later, something happened that made Diana turn pale before everyone’s eyes… and silence fell over the line… 😳
Continuation in the first comment 👇👇
A few minutes later, the office doors suddenly opened, and the branch manager, Mr. Roberts, walked in quickly. His face was grim, and in his hands he held a tablet with recordings from the security cameras.
He immediately approached Marta and, to everyone’s surprise, said gently:
— Ma’am, please come forward. Your issue will be resolved right now.
Dead silence filled the room.
Diana tried to explain something, but Roberts did not even let her finish.
— I watched your work for several minutes through the cameras. Instead of helping an elderly person, you decided to boost yourself at her expense by humiliating her in front of the entire line.
The employee’s face changed instantly. Just moments ago confident and arrogant, she now stood pale and confused, unable to raise her eyes.
And then something happened that no one expected…
Roberts personally took Marta’s folder, quickly reviewed the documents, and within minutes it became clear that all the required certificates were there. The mistake was in the office’s own system.
— Her work record must be recalculated immediately, — he said coldly.
Marta could barely hold back her tears. For many long months, he was the first person who had treated her like a human being…
But the hardest blow was still waiting for Diana.
The manager turned to her and said in front of everyone:
— From this moment on, you no longer work here. An employee who humiliates people instead of helping them has no right to hold this position.
Silence hung in the line, and then someone quietly began to applaud Marta…
