Former President Barack Obama has returned to Chicago to speak to students in his first post-White House appearance.
Obama will speak to students at the University of Chicago, in what will be his first speech since leaving the White House. According to the Chicago Tribune, He is meeting with young leaders, six of whom have joined him on stage, and will hold a conversation on civic engagement and discuss community organizing at the university’s Logan Center for the Arts.
The former president has been in the news mainly for his travels. He was spotted kitesurfing with billionaire Richard Branson in the Caribbean and most recently, seen on a yacht hanging out with A-List celebs including Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Springsteen. He has also been reportedly penning his memoirs while on vacation with the former First Lady, Michelle Obama.
The invitation-only event is being billed as part of his post-presidency goal to “encourage and support the next generation of leaders.”
Earlier, former president spent time at a roundtable with youth from the organization Chicago Create Real Economic Destiny located in the Roseland/Pullman neighborhood in South Side Chicago where Obama started as a community organizer at age 25.
Spokesman Kevin Lewis says Obama listened to the young men’s stories and shared some of the challenges that he faced growing up. Obama “was optimistic about their potential to positively contribute to their communities and support their families because of the services provided in the program,” Lewis said.
The discussion at the University of Chicago is taking place as plans are being made for Obama’s presidential library, which is slated for completion in 2020. It also comes as President Trump nears the end of his first 100 days in office later this week.
The 44th president gave his final speech at Chicago’s McCormick Place in January shortly before leaving office.
