Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos has given $100 million to the Chicago-based Obama Foundation to expand programs and to honor the late civil rights icon Congressman John R. Lewis. The plaza at the Obama Presidential Center is to be named the John Lewis Plaza.
The foundation, which was created by former President Barack Obama in 2014, was established to connect, empower and inspire people to change their world and honor the legacy of the president and spouse Michelle Obama. The funds will be used to expand programming for emerging leaders in the United States and throughout the world.
Bezos’ gift, the largest received by the foundation to date, comes close to matching the Obama Foundation’s total contributions and grants for 2019, the most recent year for which a federal Form 990 data is available. That year, the foundation reported $139.7 million in contributions and gifts, down from $163.9 million a year earlier. It also claimed net assets of $429.5 million, up from $343 million during 2018.
The plaza naming represents a step in redirecting how public spaces around the center will be named. Donors will be urged to honor individuals who have fought for a more just and equitable world, such as civil rights icons, social justice heroes and others in the business, entertainment and public service sectors.
The groundbreaking ceremony in the south side of Chicago was held during September 2021 and construction is expected to be completed by 2025.
“Freedom fighters deserve a special place in the pantheon of heroes, and I can’t think of a more fitting person to honor with this gift than John Lewis, a great American leader and a man of extraordinary decency and courage,” Bezos said via a statement. “I’m thrilled to support President and Mrs. Obama and their Foundation in its mission to train and inspire tomorrow’s leaders.”
“We believe that there is incredible power in lifting up the names of extraordinary change agents upon whose shoulders we all stand, and we are thrilled by Mr. Bezos’ offer to name our magnificent Plaza in honor of John Lewis,” Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett said in a statement. “What’s more, Mr. Bezos’ generous unrestricted gift will enable us to help train a new generation of leaders through programs including the Girls Opportunity Alliance, My Brother’s Keeper, and our Global Leaders Program, while also supporting the Foundation’s Hometown Fund, which invests in the expansion of economic development opportunities for residents of Chicago’s South Side.”
