article by Katherine Skiba via chicagotribune.com
Former President Barack Obama will speak to young people at the University of Chicago on Monday, returning to the city for what will be his first public event since leaving the White House.
Obama and young leaders will hold a conversation on civic engagement and discuss community organizing at the university’s Logan Center for the Arts, his office announced Friday. Hundreds of people are expected to attend, chosen from area universities that were given tickets for distribution, said Kevin Lewis, a spokesman for the former president. About six young people will appear on stage with him for the 11 a.m. discussion, he said.
The event will be a homecoming for Obama on multiple levels. He formerly taught constitutional law at U. of C., and his family has a home nearby in the Kenwood neighborhood. He gave his farewell address in January in the city that launched his political career. And the discussion with students lets the former president, who came to Chicago to work as a young community organizer, fulfill one of the commitments he set out for his post-presidential years: to engage and work with the country’s next generation of leaders, Lewis said.
“This event is part of President Obama’s post-presidency goal to encourage and support the next generation of leaders driven by strengthening communities around the country and the world,” an advisory said. Obama is expected to arrive Sunday, then depart Monday not long after the U. of C. event, the only public appearance planned.Less than a month after his term ended, Obama made a largely under-the-radar visit to Chicago on Feb. 15 to meet with several civic leaders to discuss his future presidential center in Jackson Park.
That visit was announced to the press with few details late that day, and he made no appearances before the general public or television cameras. This time, by contrast, the Obama team’s announcement of Monday’s event ensures it will get a higher profile, particularly because it comes a few days before President Donald Trump is poised to mark his 100th day in office on April 29.
This event is not being sponsored by the Obama Foundation, which leads planning for his eventual center on the South Side.”He’s really excited to go back to Chicago and have a conversation about community organizing and civic engagement,” Lewis said.No tickets remain for distribution to the general public, but the event will be televised. Former first lady Michelle Obama is not expected to accompany her husband on the trip, Lewis said.
To read full article, go to: Barack Obama to hold first public event since leaving office, Monday in Chicago – Chicago Tribune
article by thegrio.com
Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios helped raise more than $1 million for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Sunday night during a star-studded gala at The Montage in Beverly Hills.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do for many, many years,” Allen said. “We can’t do enough for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.”
The event featured stirring live performances by Toni Braxton and Babyface. Attendees were able to bid on auction items such as 12 hours of flight time on a private jet and an exclusive dinner party and movie screening experience on a $250 million estate.
The fundraiser is the first of what will become an annual gala on Oscars night. Celebrities in attendance said they appreciated the opportunity to make such a positive impact. “It’s not just a party,” said Sherri Shepherd, who was also in attendance. “[Byron Allen] is doing it with a purpose. He’s partying with a purpose.”
Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios helped raise more than $1 million for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Sunday night during a star-studded gala at The Montage in Beverly Hills.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do for many, many years,” Allen said. “We can’t do enough for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.”
The event featured stirring live performances by Toni Braxton and Babyface. Attendees were able to bid on auction items such as 12 hours of flight time on a private jet and an exclusive dinner party and movie screening experience on a $250 million estate.
The fundraiser is the first of what will become an annual gala on Oscars night. Celebrities in attendance said they appreciated the opportunity to make such a positive impact. “It’s not just a party,” said Sherri Shepherd, who was also in attendance. “[Byron Allen] is doing it with a purpose. He’s partying with a purpose.”