--- title: Barack Obama: Read His First Remarks Since Leaving Office description: President Obama spoke to a group of young people at the University of Chicago during his first public appearance since leaving office canonical: https://time.com/4753027/barack-obama-university-of-chicago-speech-transcript/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-24T19:41:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T04:34:43.463Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read Barack Obama's First Public Remarks Since Leaving Office og:description: Obama said he's thought a lot about his "next job" og:url: https://time.com/4753027/barack-obama-university-of-chicago-speech-transcript/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt828968b3759cad4c/6988ca6d7cdbac0180d580c7/gettyimages-672356520.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Former President Obama Speaks On Civic Engagement At The University Of Chicago og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read Barack Obama's First Public Remarks Since Leaving Office twitter:description: Obama said he's thought a lot about his "next job" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt828968b3759cad4c/6988ca6d7cdbac0180d580c7/gettyimages-672356520.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read Barack Obama's First Public Remarks Since Leaving Office > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Apr 24, 2017 7:41 PM UTC  Former President Barack Obama listens as participants speak during a forum at the University of Chicago held to promote community organizing on April 24, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson—Getty Images Former President Barack Obama listens as participants speak during a forum at the University of Chicago held to promote community organizing on April 24, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson—Getty ImagesScott Olson—Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Apr 24, 2017 7:41 PM UTC [Former president Barack Obama](http://time.com/4752768/barack-obama-speech-university-of-chicago-young-leaders/?xid=homepage) made his first public appearance since leaving office on Monday, hosting a discussion at the University of Chicago with [students from across the city](http://time.com/4752253/barack-obama-speech-watch-online/). He said the work he did in Chicago as a community organizer laid the groundwork for his life in politics. “This community gave me a lot more than I was able to give in return, because this community taught me that ordinary people, when working together, can do extraordinary things,” Obama said. In his opening remarks, before chatting with students from all over the city about civic engagement and leadership, Obama said he’d thought a lot about what he wants to do for his “next job.” “And what I’m convinced of is that although there are all kinds of issues that I care about and all kinds of issues that I intend to work on, the single most important thing I can do is to help in any way I can prepare the next generation of leadership to take up the baton and to take their own crack at changing the world,” Obama said. 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