Tenement Museum Names Former Obama Official As New President

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — The Tenement Museum has named former Obama official Kevin Jennings as its new president, the museum announced on Wednesday night.

Jennings is a former history teacher and nonprofit executive, and served for two years as an assistant deputy secretary of education under President Barack Obama.

In an interview with the New York Times, which was first to report the museum's new head, Jennings said he was joining the museum at a time when "immigration is a front-page issue."

"Right now, immigrants are being dehumanized and demonized," he told the Times.

The Tenement Museum, located on Orchard St., focuses on the history of Lower East Side immigrants. The space at 97 Orchard St. was previously home to 7,000 working class immigrants in the 19th century, and has been recreated to model their apartments and the way they lived. (For more news from the Lower East Side, subscribe here for free breaking news alerts and updates from Patch.)

Jennings' appointment comes amid a significant expansion for the museum. In 2007, the museum purchased the neighboring building at 103 Orchard St., which has been built into a new visitors' center and space for exhibitions and classrooms. Later this year, the new exhibit "Under One Roof" will open at 103 Orchard St.

The museum was previously led by Morris Vogel, who announced his retirement in January.

Lead image courtesy of the Tenement Museum on Twitter.