Obama Presidential Center Opens on Chicago’s South Side

CHICAGO — Former President Barack Obama dedicated his presidential center on Chicago’s South Side on Thursday, telling thousands gathered in Jackson Park that the city was where he found his purpose, his faith and his community.

The Obama Presidential Center, which includes a museum, library and education center, celebrates the accomplishments of Obama’s two terms in office as well as the lives of former first lady Michelle Obama and their family.

Former Presidents in Attendance

Former Presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton attended the ceremony with their spouses, Jill Biden, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and the Obamas’ daughters, Malia and Sasha, were also present, along with other political and cultural figures. President Donald Trump did not attend.

‘Could Not Be Anyplace Else’

In his remarks, Obama recalled arriving in Chicago in 1985 at age 23 to work as director of the Developing Communities Project, a community organizing job. He said he knew he wanted to make a difference but was not yet sure how.

He met Michelle in Chicago, married and raised their daughters there, and launched his first political campaign in the city in the 1990s, a bid for the Illinois state Senate that he said ultimately and improbably led to the presidency.

Obama said the center could not be anywhere else, describing it as an expression of thanks to the people of the city and surrounding neighborhoods. In a video shown during the event, he said the story of the South Side had always been one of possibility.

Michelle Obama’s Tribute

Michelle Obama praised her husband’s “stubborn optimism and unflinching courage” as the nation’s first Black president, noting that he faced false attacks on his birthplace, faith and patriotism. She said he carried out the job with such grace that he made the hardest job in the world look easy.

Years in the Making

The center’s location in historic Jackson Park drew years of debate and legal challenges from some preservation groups, while supporters argued it would bring investment and visitors to South Side neighborhoods. Construction efforts included programs to bring more women and people of color onto the job site, according to WTTW.

Unlike most presidential libraries, the center does not house Obama’s official presidential records on site; the National Archives is digitizing them instead. Organizers have said they hope the campus, which includes public green space and programming spaces, will function as a hub for civic life.

The center opens to the public as the latest addition to the network of presidential sites that draw visitors from across the country.