I knew that visiting the Obama Center would create many contradictory thoughts and emotions. But I am not sure that I really appreciated the dissonance that I would feel. There is the imposing building, the beautiful and political art, the great oratory promising change and si se puede, and the historical narrative of greater justice. And then there is the cold reality that Obama lacked bold action to match that rhetoric and that much of what he did preserved the status quo while making only incremental improvements. And then there is the reality of today where not only have those incremental improvements been destroyed but also much of the progress toward justice of the last 65 years – and longer. There is also the realization that not only is this country so far removed from that evening in November 2008 when Obama was elected, but so am I far removed from the hope that I felt standing in that enormous crowd in Grant Park that night. There may be little point in thinking about what might have been – but there is great value in considering what must be done differently whenever that demand for change, that vision of justice, and that sense of possibility align again, even if not in our lifetimes. Now how do you capture all of that in a few photos?
With Gratitude to Who? The main plaza at the entrance to the museum and forum is named for John Lewis. That is fitting and appropriate, but what captures the dissonance more than anything is the gratitude expressed to Jeff Bezos. Money talks and its false narrative, gross inequalities and overwhelming power is destroying our democracy and planet. Is that what they are expressing gratitude for?What about capitalism? There is a section of the museum dedicated to how our democracy works and the rights that we have. One of the questions was was a question about how people felt about our democracy, and the majority believed that we must continue to make change within our democracy. Of course it didn't ask about how we felt about capitalism and its impact -- but then Bezos wouldn't have expressed gratitude for that.And What About Now. This could have been a photo of any of the many exhibits about the accomplishments of the Obama Presidency, but this one seemed particularly appropriate in thinking about where we are now since we now deny climate change, live in a world full of war, attack and spread fascism to the rest of the Americas, disregard health care and assistance, and have abandoned allies while aligning with despots. The Ultimate Irony. The dissonance of this this I was somewhat prepared for. Obama was "deporter in chief" and Mony always reminds me that ICE today is doing exactly what it was created to do and has done since its beginning including through all the Democratic administrations - acting with cruelty outside the constrains of accountability. Obama ultimately provided some protection to dreamers through DACA but only after a major campaign by activists. To address immigration the display is a mix of the usual talk about protecting the border, the push for immigration reform thwarted by Congress, and the issuance of Executive Orders like DACA. There is plenty of irony in that. But the ultimate irony is that in speaking of "Becoming Americans" Jose was pictured -- and nothing that Obama did provided him any protection at all or any path to remain in the US. Jose is a good friend. He grew up in the US and is as much an American as anyone else who has spent much of their childhood and all of their adult life here -- and that has nothing to do with Obama or the politicians like him.Behind the Facade. At the very top of the building is the sky room and you look out through the letters to the plaza below. I am not sure this photo says anything except that it is really cool.So many words. In the sky room on the top floor you also wait for the elevator down under this incredible piece of art that includes all the words of Obama's 2015 Selma speech. It made me consider the connection or disconnect between words and action. Sky of Hope. It is fitting that the museum ends here since maybe this too is about the dissonance between words and action, and between hope and disappointment. The piece is by Idris Khan and the plaque describing it states: "in a media-rich world, where words surround us but their impact can feel elusive, Khan offers a meditation on how meaning shifts through repetition and accumulation." And I would add "over time."
