--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a kid from Chicago. I know what it…" description: "\"I'm a kid from Chicago. I know what it was like to see Obama become president. We felt the tectonic plates of the world shift.\" — Virgil Abloh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/virgil-abloh-5858_chicago_i-m-a-kid-from-chicago-i-know-what-it-wa_1875487.jpg" --- # I'm a kid from Chicago. I know what it was like to see… ![“I'm a kid from Chicago. I know what it was like to see Obama become president. We felt the tectonic plates of the world shift.” quote by Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/virgil-abloh-5858_chicago_i-m-a-kid-from-chicago-i-know-what-it-wa_1875487.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/virgil-abloh-5858_chicago_i-m-a-kid-from-chicago-i-know-what-it-wa_1875487.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/483/virgil-abloh-5858_chicago_i-m-a-kid-from-chicago-i-know-what-it-wa_1875487.jpg) > “I'm a kid from Chicago. I know what it was like to see Obama become president. We felt the tectonic plates of the world shift.” [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes the profound cultural shift felt when Obama was elected, likening it to moving tectonic plates. **In simple terms:** Obama’s election felt like a massive global change. Key Takeaway Recognize how historic events reshape personal perspective. Themes politics identity change culture history Mood hopeful reflective Type inspirational political When to use this quote - voting - community activism - personal reflection - media discourse Key Concepts collective consciousness social impact symbolic transformation Questions to Reflect On - How did Obama’s election alter your view of possibility? - In what ways do we feel global events personally? A Different Perspective The metaphor may overstate personal impact compared to broader societal changes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [People talked about my weight for an entire year. Being famous for gaining 10lbs is ridiculous! I didnt feel as fat as everybody was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/people-talked-about-my-weight-for-an-entire-year-being-famous-for/) [Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/) > [I don't think I would have made 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood' had Trump not been president. I felt so desperately like we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marielle-heller/i-don-t-think-i-would-have-made-a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood/) [Marielle Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marielle-heller/) > [The president felt that it was important to send an ordinary citizen to experience the excitement of space travel as a representative for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/the-president-felt-that-it-was-important-to-send-an-ordinary-citizen/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [I never voted for a president until I felt Obama had a dream and might pull it off, and that was the first time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/i-never-voted-for-a-president-until-i-felt-obama-had-a-dream-and/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [I'm from Chicago, so you know we come from juking and footwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremih/i-m-from-chicago-so-you-know-we-come-from-juking-and-footwork/) [Jeremih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremih/) > [Many visitors to Chicago know the Loop, the shops on the Magnificent Mile, and the Museum Campus. Meanwhile, much of the bustle is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/many-visitors-to-chicago-know-the-loop-the-shops-on-the-magnificent/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [The size of the city and the nature of how independent the neighborhoods are means that not only do people who live outside Chicago…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-kamau-bell/the-size-of-the-city-and-the-nature-of-how-independent-the/) [W. Kamau Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-kamau-bell/) > [If you ask me about Chicago, I know Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ja-morant/if-you-ask-me-about-chicago-i-know-chicago-bulls-and-michael-jordan/) [Ja Morant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ja-morant/) > [In Chicago, you know you got beef with everybody. In Atlanta, you're chilling, but you don't get too comfortable. Like, if I go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-von/in-chicago-you-know-you-got-beef-with-everybody-in-atlanta-you-re/) [King Von](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-von/) > [We've got a lot of love from Chicago, you know we've been selling out big venues in Chicago that other people don't sell out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vic-mensa/we-ve-got-a-lot-of-love-from-chicago-you-know-we-ve-been-selling-out/) [Vic Mensa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vic-mensa/) > [But when I go to Chicago, I know I'm home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-sauer/but-when-i-go-to-chicago-i-know-i-m-home/) [Hank Sauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-sauer/) > [In a crazy world where he would get nominated, I'd like to see Obama run against Herman Cain. That would be fantastic. If Herman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-heidecker/in-a-crazy-world-where-he-would-get-nominated-i-d-like-to-see-obama/) [Tim Heidecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-heidecker/) > [We the muthafuckin best, word to my mama. Riding presidential feeling like Obama. Cause all I want is change and my niggas wanted the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meek-mill/we-the-muthafuckin-best-word-to-my-mama-riding-presidential-feeling/) [Meek Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meek-mill/) > [My raps ignite the people like Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/my-raps-ignite-the-people-like-obama/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [Law professors like Obama tend to view the law as one means to an end, and others, like myself, tend to view it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-turley/law-professors-like-obama-tend-to-view-the-law-as-one-means-to-an-end/) [Jonathan Turley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-turley/) ## More by Virgil Abloh > [I want Off-White to be a graphics-based brand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/i-want-off-white-to-be-a-graphics-based-brand/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [In my case, everything starts from Marcel Duchamp and the new expressive possibilities he gave us with his ready-mades. I transferred his artistic language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/in-my-case-everything-starts-from-marcel-duchamp-and-the-new/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [My lifestyle doesn't really account for movies. I can't even remember what I last saw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/my-lifestyle-doesn-t-really-account-for-movies-i-can-t-even-remember/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [The blue-collar culture, it's not really a buttoned-up aesthetic. It's a heavy-labor thing because you're, like, sweating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/the-blue-collar-culture-it-s-not-really-a-buttoned-up-aesthetic-it-s/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [For me, just as a social recorder of 2016, there's a new girl that emerged that can shop in between Zara and designer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/for-me-just-as-a-social-recorder-of-2016-there-s-a-new-girl-that/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [My first degree was in structural engineering, which is super-boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/my-first-degree-was-in-structural-engineering-which-is-super-boring/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [I don't play golf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/i-don-t-play-golf/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [Kanye looks for the best in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/kanye-looks-for-the-best-in-everything/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [My style is to never say no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/my-style-is-to-never-say-no/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [All the skateboarding brands that I was into had graphic T-shirts. 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That's how I've always been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/i-don-t-come-up-with-ideas-in-a-test-tube-i-come-up-with-ideas-by/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [I was never meant to, like, work and then turn it off and sit on the couch. I just have a vision, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/i-was-never-meant-to-like-work-and-then-turn-it-off-and-sit-on-the/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) > [The amount of random conversations that lead to culture-shifting ideas is insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-abloh/the-amount-of-random-conversations-that-lead-to-culture-shifting/) [Virgil Abloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) [Explore all 100 Virgil Abloh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-abloh/) ## More Chicago quotes > [I'm proud to say I had a bet with a guy from Chicago who said Chicago is windier and colder than Wyoming. 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And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“Things are more like they are now...than they have EVER been before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-arnie-mamath/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-have-ever-been-before/) Uncle Arnie Mamath > [This week I realized my dad will make you cry in the store if you make him mad. Also when your crossing the street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-week-i-realized-my-dad-will-make-you-cry-in-the-store-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whenever I was flying commercial, I would land in Chicago, and they would announce, 'Get your passports out.' It happened so often, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-khan/whenever-i-was-flying-commercial-i-would-land-in-chicago-and-they/) [Shahid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-khan/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. It was great because it really captured the city - I'm from Chicago, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/i-loved-chicago-code-i-watched-that-a-lot-it-was-great-because-it/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [As much as I want to stay on the team -- I love Chicago, I love the Bulls -- at the same time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/as-much-as-i-want-to-stay-on-the-team-i-love-chicago-i-love-the-bulls/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [I'm from Chicago. 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But in a bad city you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/you-d-never-think-of-taking-a-cab-if-you-had-to-walk-a-mile-down/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Perhaps the most typically American place in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/perhaps-the-most-typically-american-place-in-america/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [I feel there's a really raw quality in the Chicago theater community that's really special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-layne/i-feel-there-s-a-really-raw-quality-in-the-chicago-theater-community/) [KiKi Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-layne/) > [Chicago is unique. It is the only completely corrupt city in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-merriam/chicago-is-unique-it-is-the-only-completely-corrupt-city-in-america/) [Charles Edward Merriam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-merriam/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. They are loud, they are ruthless, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/chicago-to-me-is-the-best-wrestling-crowd-on-the-planet-they-are-the/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) [Browse all 1,655 Chicago quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm a kid from Chicago. I know what it was like to see Obama become president. 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