Mahalia Jackson
Obama Presidential Center Honoree
Space Name: Cafe | Forum | Lower Level
Mahalia Jackson was a legendary gospel artist and influential vocalist whose music was the soundtrack of the Civil Rights era. She used her music to uplift audiences and support the struggle for racial justice. She was known for performing gospel songs like “How I Got Over” and “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” at events alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jackson lived her belief that art and faith had the power to heal cultural divides and create social change.
With gratitude to Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation
Legacy on Campus
Cafe
The Presidential Cafe, named in honor of Mahalia Jackson, offers sustainable, grab-and-go meals inspired by the Obamas' healthy eating initiatives while also celebrating the power of food, art, music, and culture to unite people from all walks of life.
Art on Campus
Explore 28 commissioned public art installations across the Center, including Weary Blues. The art piece, located at the entrance of the Cafe, is inspired by the work of Langston Hughes and other Black leaders such as Mahalia Jackson who carried forward a legacy of Black creative expression.
Meet More Honorees
Through the honoree naming initiative at the Obama Presidential Center, we are partnering with our donors to celebrate a part of the history in which the Obama story is so deeply rooted by associating a named space with a hero, moment, or person "on whose shoulders we stand"—an honoree who made the Obamas’ story possible.
Meet More Honorees