Interfaith America Chicago staff recently got the opportunity to visit the Obama Presidential Center Museum, and a few of them shared their reflections on the impact of the visit.
‘We have different stories, but we hold common hopes.’
“I don’t know how anyone could walk out of the Obama Presidential Center Museum unchanged. The thoughtfulness and intention woven into every square inch of that place absolutely blew me away. It honors President Obama’s legacy, to be sure, but it does so much more. It reminds each of us of the role we have to play in building, strengthening, and contributing to this beautiful nation.
One of the last exhibits I encountered featured a quote: ‘We have different stories, but we hold common hopes.’ Those words deeply resonated with me because they capture the essence of our work at Interfaith America. Through respect, relate, cooperate, we draw on the power of our unique stories to build bridges across difference. The Center is a powerful reminder that our differences need not divide us. Instead, they can be the foundation for the shared future we create together.”
– Amber Hacker, Managing Director
‘Each of us has a part to play in a larger story.’
“I loved so much about the museum; particularly how it put the Obamas’ lives in context of the movements (like women’s suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement) that came before them. But I most appreciated seeing all the items that people gave the Obama’s while they were in office: a NASCAR helmet and basketball signed by the UConn women’s team. Homemade memorabilia and campaign posters made by individuals. And especially the tons and tons and tons of handwritten letters people sent to President Obama. It reminded me that each of us, whether in small items or small acts, has a part to play in a larger story and we all can impact presidents and people alike.”
– Carr Harkrader, Senior Program Specialist
‘It is just as important to believe in the hope of a better future as it is to work towards it.’
“One of my favorite parts of the Obama Presidential Center Museum is the open central space connecting the museum’s three main floors. This space features different video clips and photographs as a backdrop to various speeches and remarks by the Obamas. On one floor, I stood shoulder to shoulder with a colleague among a small, diverse crowd and listened to President Obama’s 2017 farewell address.
We were moved to tears. I was reminded of an important, crucial element of our work: It is just as important to believe in the hope of a better future as it is to work towards it.”
– Abbie Haug, Assistant Director of National Bridgebuilding Initiative
- The Barack Obama Foundation
