Some Chicago teens will see President Barack Obama speak Monday night after a local activist called for the donation of extra tickets to the event.
Jahmal Cole, founder of My Hood, My Block, My City, said he got in line early Saturday morning at McCormick place with hundreds of others to try and get tickets for local teenagers—but he wasn’t there early enough.
“I failed at getting teenagers tickets to see President Obama speak on Tuesday,” Cole wrote on Facebook Saturday. “If any Politicians wanna give their tickets to a teenager, please message me. Seeing our President speak will add value to our student’s lives. That place should be packed with the next generation of leaders. Thank you in advance. For real too. Thank you.”
Several Chicagoans stepped up and donated their tickets so the kids could witness the historic moment—including members of the Chatham Business Association.
“It’s important to have them front and center to see the process, to see the history,” said Melinda Kelly, executive director of the organization.
Cole said its one thing to see the speech on television—but another to see it live. In a Facebook post Monday, he announced the teens would be seeing Obama’s speech and that he was proud to live in a city that’s “an amazing place with amazing people.”
“I think seeing Barack Obama speak live can change the trajectory of some of these kids’ lives,” Cole said.
