UMVA has learned that a Chicago resident, who has called the South Side home for 18 years, is speaking out about the chaos he says was caused by the construction of the Barack Obama Presidential Center.
Akoma Amanze, a local cab driver, lives in Jackson Park Terrace, a low-income housing community directly across the street from the 19.3-acre campus. He described to UMVA the significant disruptions he and his neighbors endured during the years-long construction project.
Amanze made it clear that he supports Obama and has had a positive experience living at Jackson Park Terrace. However, he says the construction process, which began in 2021, was often "very, very disturbing." The constant digging and excavation work had a profound impact on his daily life.
The construction caused significant problems for Amanze, including two instances where his apartment flooded due to the digging. He had to deal with the aftermath himself, throwing away ruined belongings and cleaning up the mess. Despite the destruction, Amanze claims that neither his complex's management nor Obama Center representatives offered assistance.
The reverberations from the digging also took a toll on Amanze. He described the sensation of his bed shaking while he was sleeping, a phenomenon that occurred repeatedly throughout the construction process. The stress and disruption were compounded by the loss of a community park across the street, where Amanze would often take his children to play.
Amanze fondly remembers a favorite swing in the park where he would soothe his youngest child, now 14, when he was upset. Although the park is gone, Amanze is not bitter. Instead, he's excited that Obama was able to establish a significant presence in his neighborhood, and he feels a sense of pride and connection to the history.
Despite the challenges, Amanze is choosing to focus on the positive aspects of the Obama Center. As he put it, "When things are happening that you do not have the power to stop, you just have to learn to live with it." He's learned to live with the changes and is embracing the new reality.
