Investigation of Obama Presidential Library Site in Chicago

Chicago South Side Crime Statistics

• 🚨 The south side of Chicago is highlighted as having a murder rate exceeding 35 homicides per 100,000 residents, making it deadlier than some front lines in Ukraine.
• 📈 Black residents are disproportionately affected, being over 20 times more likely to be homicide victims of other Black residents.
• 📉 The arrest rate for these crimes is at a record low, with only one in four homicides resulting in an arrest.

Obama Presidential Library Construction and Aesthetics

• 🏗️ The Obama Presidential Library is described as being behind schedule, over budget, and mired in lawsuits, with construction costs doubling to an estimated $1 billion.
• 🧱 The architecture is criticized as a "brutalist piece of garbage," a "hideous ugly library," and a "massive concrete block."
• 🎨 A subcontractor is suing for racial discrimination after a DEI concrete pourer was used.

Neighborhood Conditions Around the Library

• 🗑️ The area surrounding the library is described as "filthy," with graffiti, garbage, and trash prevalent.
• 🚢 Abandoned boats in disrepair, with plants growing inside, are noted as part of the local scenery.
• ⚠️ The neighborhood is characterized as not nice and not a safe place to be, with a high murder rate.

Public Perceptions of the Library and Obama's Presidency

• 🏛️ Local residents and passersby compare the library's appearance to a "garbage can," a "jail," a "giant trash can," a "rock," a "giant block of marble," a "TARDIS," a "mountain," a "house," an "ATC tower," and a "mausoleum."
• 🗣️ Some residents expressed disappointment, stating the library shouldn't be dedicated solely to Obama but to all U.S. presidents, and that he "ruined all the traffic."
• 💬 A resident from the Soviet Union identified the architecture as "brutalist" and stated they left the Soviet Union to get away from such styles.

Political Sentiments in the Neighborhood

• 🇺🇸 Many interviewed residents expressed strong support for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, with some stating Obama "ain't black" and that Trump is trying to do more for Black people.
• 🗣️ Residents conveyed messages to Trump to "keep going," "come get us," and "make America great again."
• 💰 Some residents expressed a desire for Obama to "pump some money in here like Trump."