HYDE PARK — President Barack Obama said he will take a short break after the presidency and then focus on making his presidential library a center for citizenship.
On Friday, just before Donald Trump was inaugurated as president, Barack and Michelle Obama released a video outlining some of their plans after the presidency and upcoming work on developing the presidential library in Jackson Park.
“First, we’re going to take a little break,” Michelle Obama said. “We’re finally going to get some sleep and take some time to be with our family and just be still for a little bit.”
Barack Obama said after that break, they will be focused on developing the programing for the library as a center for citizenship.
“It will have projects all over the city, country and world,” Barack Obama said. “More than a library or museum, it will be a living working center for citizenship.”
Both urged people to send them ideas through their foundation about how the library should engage in promoting democracy.
“Send us your ideas, your hopes, your beliefs about what we can achieve together,” Michelle Obama said. “Tell us about the young leaders and companies and organizations that inspire you.
“This will be your presidential center as much as it ours, so we want you to tell us what we should be thinking about as we get to work,” she said.
The Obamas will remain in Washington, D.C., until their youngest daughter, Sasha, finishes high school. There has been little word on what the Obamas will do after the presidency or how active they will be in the presidential library.
The video suggests that Barack Obama will start new efforts to promote the ideals of democracy using his foundation and presidential library.
“It’s going to take all of you and your ideas to make it a reality,” Obama said. “As I’ve said many times before, true democracy is a project that’s much bigger than any one of us, it’s bigger than any one person, any one president, any one government — it’s a job for all of us.”
The couple encouraged people to go onto their foundation’s website to write about what they think makes a good citizen and what ideals and actions come to mind when they think about citizenship.
The development of the presidential library is expected to gear up with major fundraising efforts starting to build an endowment that is expected to be as much as $1 billion.
