2018: our year
When we look back at 2018, we see all of you: emerging leaders who are embarking on journeys of change throughout the world; supporters who are helping us bring the Obama Presidential Center to life; and the millions of people who are following along, inspired to build a brighter future in their own communities. Take a look at our year in review, then tell us how you're committing to make your community a better place in 2019.
Inside The Obama Portraits Unveiling
President and Mrs. Obama joined their predecessors on the walls of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Get to know the artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald and watch highlights from the historic moment.
February 12, 2018
Watch: Unveiling of President and Mrs. Obama’s Portraits at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
Artists Kehinde Wiley of Brooklyn, New York, and Amy Sherald of Baltimore, Maryland, were selected to paint President Obama and Mrs. Obama respectively, becoming… More
The Obama Presidential Center: Where We Are Now
We're creating a cultural destination in Jackson Park and an economic engine for the South Side and City of Chicago. See where we are now.
February 27, 2018
MBK Alliance Hosts Opportunity Summit in Newark, NJ
More than 500 Newark youth, including boys and young men of color, had the opportunity to interact and interview with employers, be hired on-the-spot, and other career training resources.
Our Community Commitments
We’re committed to ensuring that the community that has given so much to the Obamas benefits directly from the Obama Presidential Center. Check out the commitments and keep up with our progress+
March 17, 2018
President Obama’s Visit to Singapore
On Monday, March 19, President Obama met with a small group of emerging leaders from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries* to hear about… More
President Obama’s Visit to New Zealand
On Friday, March 23rd, President Obama met with a group of 20 Maori women from the Wahine Toa (Women Leaders) network in New Zealand.
MLK50: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
To honor the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s death, President Obama and Congressman John Lewis participated in a My Brother’s Keeper Alliance roundtable with students from Ron Brown College Preparatory High School in Washington, D.C. President
April 2, 2018
MLK50: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
To honor the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s death, President Obama and Congressman John Lewis hosted a My Brother’s Keeper Alliance round table with students from Ron Brown College Preparatory High School in Washington, D.C. See more from the day+
April 16, 2018
Announcing: The Inaugural Class of Obama Foundation Fellows
20,000 applications. 191 countries. 20 Fellows. Meet the class+
Obama Foundation Community Leadership Corps Kicks Off in Phoenix, Columbia, and Chicago
The Community Leadership Corps is a six-month program that brings together young people in Phoenix, AZ; Columbia, SC; and Chicago, IL to learn how to take on the biggest challenges they see in their local communities. Explore the program+
Happy Father's Day from the Obama Foundation! To celebrate dads across the country and around the world, we featured the heartwarming story of the lunch bag art Lynell Jinks draws for his children, Zelina and Izaac, to inspire them to reach their fullest potential. See the full story
See highlights from the Leaders: Africa convening in Johannesburg, South Africa right here.
July 18, 2018
President Obama Town Hall with Africa Leaders
President Obama joined the 200 Africa Leaders for a Town Hall that continued the conversation about what it means to be a global citizen and make an impact — and how the Obama Foundation can support their efforts.
MBK Alliance Online Town Halls
Over the course of the year, MBK Alliance hosted online Town Halls to bring MBK Community Leaders around the country together to ask questions and to learn best practices from one another. Special guests included award-winning American hip-hop recording artist Common, Trayvon Martin Foundation founder and Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton, and former Secretary of Education and MBK Alliance Advisory Council Member Arne Duncan.
From Hope to History
We're launching a story collection archive to preserve your memories from 2008.
August 4, 2018
Share your memories from the 2008 election
From audio recordings, photos, and more, people from all over the world shared their memories from the 2008 election. Share yours now+
Obama Foundation Community Leadership Corps Bootcamps in Phoenix, Columbia, and Chicago
Halfway through the six-month program, Community Leadership Corps members gathered yet again—and brought two new friends with them—for in-person trainings and to provide updates on their community projects. Learn more about the program+
August 26, 2018
Scholars Orientation in Chicago
Obama Foundation Scholars from University of Chicago and Columbia University spent a week together with Foundation staff in Chicago for special programming, including a tour of the South Side of Chicago. See more+
A Closer Look at the Obama Foundation Scholars Program
See highlights from the Obama Foundation Scholars orientation in Chicago last month, and hear what President Obama has to say about the Scholars and the journey they’re embarking on at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and Columbia
See highlights from the Obama Foundation Scholars orientation in Chicago last month, and hear what President Obama has to say about the Scholars and the journey they’re embarking on at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and Columbia University.
Watch: President Obama shares the vision of the Presidential Center
President Obama stopped by the Obama Foundation office on the South Side of Chicago to talk about the future Obama Presidential Center with Chicagoans who have been involved in the process to bring the world-class museum to Jackson Park, and to thank them for their tireless efforts.
Obama Foundation Community Leadership Training Days in Oakland, Dallas, and Oklahoma City
In one-and-a-half days, young people between the ages of 18 and 25 were exposed to the skills they’ll need to change their communities for the better. Get to know some of the young people who were in the room+
President Obama meets with 11 young leaders from around Europe to learn more about their work and to discuss how the Obama Foundation can help get young people engaged in their communities. Meet the young leaders.
Get involved with the Global Girls Alliance now. Learn more+
October 23, 2018
Stewarding President Obama’s Legacy in the Digital Age
An American presidency has a remarkably complex historical legacy. Every presidency is both public and personal and holds different meaning for different individuals… More
October 31, 2018
Chicago City Council Votes on Use Agreement
The Chicago City Council voted 48-0 to approve agreements between the City of Chicago and the Obama Foundation related to the Obama Presidential Center and Museum, the last step in the City’s approval process related to the Center. Read the full story+
“ I see myself in these young people.”
–President Obama on the youth MBK Alliance communities impact every day
November 15, 2018
MBK Alliance Announces Community Competition Winners
Nineteen communities across the United States that are making steady progress to substantially improve the lives of boys and young men of color were selected as MBK Community Competition winners. Get to know the communities+
Common Hope. Uncommon Stories.
Though we may come from different backgrounds and hold different beliefs, we are all bound by a shared desire to build a better future for our communities.
Though we may come from different backgrounds and hold different beliefs, we are all bound by a shared desire to build a better future for our communities.
November 15, 2018
Obama Foundation Programs Come Together in Chicago for Summit
From an MBK Alliance community gathering to the Community Leadership Corps Capstone event, to Fellows grabbing dinner with Scholars, program participants from across the country and around the world traveled to Chicago for our second Obama Foundation Summit. See highlights from the Summit+
A Closer Look at the Community Leadership Corps Capstone
The Obama Foundation Community Leadership Corps program is designed to empower and train young leaders to create the world they want to live in by working to address an issue in their community. After six months of trainings, boot camps, community building and more, program members from Chicago, Phoenix, and Dallas came together to celebrate and reflect on the work they accomplished over the course of the program at a capstone event in Chicago.
We asked Summit attendees to take portraits with each other and to share how they're building a better future. See the stories.
“ There are few endeavors that are worthwhile that you can do by yourself.”
–President Obama at the Obama Foundation Summit