President Barack Obama repeated his criticism of contemporary protest movements. | AP Photo Obama aims to train 'next generation' of activists post-presidency

President Barack Obama may be plotting a return to his community organizing roots.

When he leaves the White House, Obama wants to create a “platform” to train the next generation of leaders and activists, he said during a town-hall event broadcast on ESPN Tuesday evening.


“Most prominently we’re gonna be interested in figuring out how we can develop the next generation of leaders,” Obama told the audience at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro. That means continuing initiatives that he and Michelle Obama started in the White House, like My Brothers Keeper and Let Girls Learn, he said. But it also means “trying to create a platform where young activists … can get trained and learn from each other.”

He added, “Michelle and I, I think, If we look back 20 years from now and can say that we helped to contribute to the leadership of the next generation to replace us and to exceed what we've accomplished, we’ll feel pretty good about ourselves.”

Obama didn’t elaborate much on what that training might look like. However, during the town hall, Obama repeated his criticism of contemporary protest movements, like the street demonstrations in Ferguson and NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the national anthem in opposition to police brutality. He knocked those efforts for calling attention to a problem without proposing a concrete solution.

“Awareness is important at the outset,” Obama said. But leaders from the civil rights era, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Rep. John Lewis, “would begin with the protest but then very rapidly engage in the powers that be to say, ‘We will stop protesting when you use this specific thing.’”

Earlier on Tuesday, the Obama Foundation – the vehicle for his presidential library in Chicago and other post-presidency activities – named an “Inclusion Council” to help direct the foundation’s strategic initiatives and foster diversity. It’ll be helmed by Melody Spann Cooper, owner of a black-oriented radio station in Chicago, Northern Trust executive Connie Lindsey and Exelon Corporation executive William A. Von Hoene, Jr.

Other bold-faced names on the 14-member council include Laura Ricketts, a bundler for Hillary Clinton and co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, and United Airlines executive Brett Hart.

Beyond the lofty goals, Obama told the town hall’s host, ESPN Stan Verrett, that he has another dream job in mind once he’s done being president.

“I might just take your job at SportsCenter,” Obama said.