Arts & Entertainment

Valerie Jarrett Says Obama Presidential Center Will ‘Put a Spotlight on the South Side’

Valerie Jarrett was a senior advisor to President Barack Obama for the entirety of both his terms, making her the longest-serving senior advisor in history.

Now she is the CEO of the Obama Foundation and one of the key players in the creation of the Obama Presidential Center. WTTW News sat down with her to discuss this enormous undertaking.

“I think that it will allow us to put a spotlight on the South Side and that’s deeply personal to me, as you know,” Jarrett said. “I grew up here, rode my bike through Jackson Park and hung out at the Point and the Museum of Science and Industry — and also saw that the South Side didn’t always get the infusion of capital that it deserved compared to the North Side and downtown. And so to now see this major economic engine that will drive investment not just here but in the surrounding community, as well as being kind of a beacon of hope for the world at a time when I think we sorely need that.”

Watch the full interview in the video player above.