Hope and Change: Revisiting Barack Obama’s Historic Presidency
Date & time
29 October 2025 | 17.30-20.00
Event format
Attend event in person
Event type
Participatory interactive event
Event topic
Business, finance & economics, Equality, Identity, My local area, Politics & protest
Audience
All
Academic discipline
Economic and social history, Economics management and business studies, Human geography, Politics and international relations, Social anthropology, Sociology and social policy
Venue
The Assembly Room, The Exchange
3 Centenary Sq, Birmingham B1 2DR
What's on offer?
Join academics from the University of Birmingham for an interactive "Town Hall" style event discussing the legacy of the historic presidency of Barack Obama, and the importance of his campaign message of hope and change for present-day Birmingham.
What's it about?
What does Obama’s message of hope and change mean for race, labour, and justice today?
Join academics from the University of Birmingham for a conversation about the legacy of Barack Obama’s historic presidency and how his campaign message of hope and change resonates with modern-day Birmingham. Over the course of this interactive ‘Town Hall’ style event, we will be inviting attendees to engage with leading academics Professor Daniel McNeil, Dr Sharin McDowall-Emefiele, and Dr Rita Gayle about Obama’s legacy in the first quarter of the 21st Century, and the profound questions this raises about race, justice, history, and power.
The event will be compèred by Elizabeth Zeddie Lawal co-founder of More than a Moment, and an award-winning creative producer, theatre maker, facilitator, and host. Audience participation is invited both ahead of, and throughout the evening.
Image by US Embassy London
License: CC BY-ND 2.0
Who's leading the event?
Professor Daniel McNeil, Stuart Hall Interdisciplinary Chair at the University of Birmingham
Dr Sharin McDowall-Emefiele, Department of Economics at the University of Birmingham
Dr Rita Gayle, Research Fellow for the Conjunctures Strand of the Stuart Hall Archive Project
Elizabeth Zeddie Lawal, Creative Producer, Theatre Maker, Facilitator, and founder of More than a Moment
Open to
All members of the public.
Of particular interest to
People with an interest in the City of Birmingham.
People with an interest in politics, economics, social policy, and civic purpose.
People with an interest in race equality, identity, and leadership.
Scheduling information
17:30 Doors - Refreshments available to purchase at the bar
18:15 Event start time
Event booking deadline
Monday October 27th, 11:59pm
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