After the climactic reveal of former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama’s official portraits made a splash on social media, you may be craving more Obama content in your life. Luckily for you, the second season of WBEZ’s Making podcast has arrived, and it’s six straight episodes that are all about Obama's life in Chicago.
In Making Obama, the NPR station takes on the 44th president’s early days in Chicago, from his post-undergrad work as a political organizer on the far south side through his rise to the national stage. It begins by chronicling Barack's life as a college graduate unable to land a job (can you imagine?) and includes interviews with his co-workers, mentors, rivals and advisors who he worked throughout his political career in Illinois (as well as President Obama himself). The six-part story gives an insightful look into the power of collaborative grassroots organizing, the Chicago political machine and the hard work required to truly make the city a better place.
Making is a WBEZ podcast (from some of the same folks behind hits like Serial and This American Life) that investigates the lives and careers of Chicagoans who went on to change the world, focusing on how they got their start in Chicago. This is only the podcast’s second season; the first focused on Oprah. If you’re looking for White House stories or direct commentary on the current political climate, Making won’t scratch that itch. The series ends with Barack at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when the future president stepped onto the national stage in earnest.
You can’t binge the whole pod just yet, as only the first episode has been released. The series will comprise six episodes total, with a new installment released each Thursday through March 15. So, if you’re a have-to-binge type of listener, maybe wait until the Ides of March.
If Making Obama makes a splash, it’s possible WBEZ will choose another noteworthy Chicagoan to dissect for season three. Personally, I'm all in for Making Kanye.