“ Hard things are hard...”
Hyde Park neighborhood, Chicago
Tyson Madison stands in front of Home Court, the NBA-size basketball court on the campus.
returning to, borrowing a phrase from Obama’ s own remarks:“ a third place.”
“ A lot of young people need a third place so they don’ t fall into those bad habits and end up with the wrong crowd,” he said.“ We got the YMCA. We have different park areas around here. But the Obama Center has a public library— its own home court for those students and young people who need a third place to be.” As for the debate over displacement, Tyson is blunt:“ I think a lot of people should calm down with a lot of the hype.” He’ s not dismissing the concerns so much as offering a different perspective. Clark, across the street in the apartments, offers a similar testimony:“ We have not seen a change at all as far as rent. We haven’ t seen an increase. And in fact, this property being built has made the management step their game up in making improvements in the apartment.” Even the landlords, apparently, don’ t want to stick out like a sore thumb next door to a presidential center.
The Pilgrims
Bill Wegener never met Obama, but he voted for him, and he speaks about him the way people speak at memorials for the living.“ The time
Photo courtesy of The Center for New Media that he spent in office, I think he was working for the people, not for himself,” he said.
His wife, Laurie Christensen Wegener, came with her own story. She was in Maui on business in November 2008, having voted absentee, among the last Americans to learn the Hawaiian-born candidate had won. Now, they are in Chicago touring the University of Chicago for their daughter. Her hope for the Obama Center is simple:“ A place for peace.”
David Kaloustian came from Maryland— he has taught English at Bowie State University since 1999— and couldn’ t get museum tickets, which are sold out for the entire year. He made the tour anyway. Unable to go inside the imposing structure, he circled the campus with his sister Joan,“ to pay our respects.” For his students at Bowie State, an HBCU, he says, Obama remains“ obviously very inspiring,” and the Center“ is just a real sign of hope and encouragement for all young
Jerrell Wilkinson rocks an Obama high school basketball jersey
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