The Long-Awaited Obama Presidential Center Opens

Thousands of Americans gathered on the grounds of Chicago’s Jackson Park, home of the long-awaited Obama Presidential Center, to celebrate the grand opening of the museum honoring the legacy of the nation’s first Black president. 

Marty Nesbitt, Chairman of the Obama Foundation Board of Trustees, said, “This Center is more than a building, it is a promise. A promise that leadership matters, that democracy depends on participation.”

In a show of presidential support, former presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Joe Biden and their wives attended the opening day festivities. Former heads of state Justin Trudeau of Canada and Angela Merkel of Germany also joined the Obamas.

The former president recounted the day he arrived in Chicago. He was 23 years-old, and he had been hired by a group of churches on the Southside of Chicago to lead some organizing efforts.

“I was possessed with this abiding faith that if we could give people more of a say in the forces that guided their lives … we could build an America where everyone counts, everyone has a fair shot even a kid with a weird name. I found what I was looking for.” 

He added, “For me, this Center could not be anyplace else. It is an expression of thanks.”

Famous politicians, leaders and celebrities sat in the VIP section, and on the lawn, guests from around the world took pictures and shared memories of the night a young Illinois senator became the President of the United States.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama described her husband’s eight years in office by highlighting his many accomplishments and personal attributes, including his work ethic, integrity, and empathy.

She listed, “[Your work] expanding healthcare, ending a war, ordering the Bin Laden raids, saving an auto industry, winning a peace prize, keeping us safe from Ebola, regulating the banks, standing up for marriage equality, listening to science, and comforting us through unspeakable tragedies. You did it all with such grace, and class, and cool that you made the hardest job in the world look like a walk in this beautiful park.”

Grammy award-winning singers Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Bono, Tems, Stevie Wonder, and Marc Anthony performed. 

A woman from Africa, who traveled to Chicago for the opening of the Obama Center, said, “In 2008, I was studying journalism at Harvard, and what happened is that Barack Obama became a candidate, and I called my family in Africa, and I said, ‘You know what? I think I know who the next president’s going to be.’ It inspired me a lot, and three years after that, I created the first American school in my country because of him.”

For more information about the Obama Presidential Center, please visit www.obama.org.