Obama offers a message for young leaders -- 'persevere'
Source: Politico
By EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE 09/13/2017 07:44 AM EDT
"Show up. Dive in. Persevere."
That's Barack Obama's message to supporters as he begins to fill out the shape of the first phase of his post-presidency, announcing on Wednesday a series of programs and a young leaders summit to be held in Chicago on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
The former president has tried to stay out of the fray since leaving office in January, holding off on pleas from Democrats to more directly take on President Donald Trump, and sticking to just a few statements on key issues — the travel ban, Obamacare and the decision to end protections for Dreamers, people brought illegally into the country as children.
He sticks to that approach with his new announcement, despite the subtext that might be read into his call, repeated from his farewell address, for people to take a more active approach to civic engagement. "Democracy is a job for all of us. What are you going to do about it?" Obama writes in the email. "I’ve never been more certain that we’ll rise to the occasion — together."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/13/obama-offers-a-message-for-young-leaders-persevere-242615
