Standing in front of his namesake presidential center near the neighborhood where he launched his historic political career, former President Barack Obama paid homage Thursday to the city that inspired him to run, and led him to love.
The South Sider who ascended to the White House and former first lady Michelle Obama also delivered pointed lessons about the country’s democratic values, with both making veiled references to President Donald Trump, the only living president not in attendance.
The Obamas offered up the long-awaited Jackson Park institution as a point of unification at a divided political moment.
“Democracy can be frustrating. It can be slow. It can be inefficient,” the former president said. “And yet more than anything, I hope this center will serve as an affirmation of just how special, how precious our democracy truly is, and remind us what we can achieve when we embrace our shared responsibilities as citizens.
The $850 million center is more than a decade in the making, having survived a protracted five-year legal battle over its location, as well as pandemic-related delays. The star-studded dedication ceremony brought out three former presidents and first ladies, musical legends and former staffers to celebrate the center, which Barack Obama described as “a vibrant, living celebration of community.”
And Chicago was the only place to do that, he said.
“This center could not be any place else,” Barack Obama said, recalling his arrival in the city at age 23 in 1985.
“It was here in this city, a city of broad shoulders, that I found what I was looking for, day by day, block by block,” Obama said of Chicago, which taught him leadership “has less to do with titles or rank or chasing attention than with helping others find their voice.”
“In other words, I found my purpose here, and I fortified my faith here, and I found my community here, friendships that would last a lifetime,” he said. “And I found a girl from the South Side who has been my greatest blessing.”
Earlier in the nearly three-hour program, Obama drew his head down and wiped away a tear as Michelle Obama thanked him for his resilience under pressure, and his partnership.
“I know it hasn’t always been easy, but there hasn’t been a single second through this experience that standing by your side hasn’t left me in awe. Eight years in the crucible, and not once did you melt from the heat, not once did you let it harden you.”
The former first lady did not name President Donald Trump, but there was no doubt who she was referencing while asserting that “failing to see the humanity in all people puts us all on a slippery slope.”
“No one, I mean no one, has the right to sit in judgment of who’s American enough,” she said to applause. “And that’s why, folks, we simply don’t have the luxury or time to be cynical or complacent, to wring our hands in despair, to wait for someone else to fix the problem. Ya’ll, hope is all we have.”
Describing a lengthy list of accomplishments, Michelle Obama mentioned that her husband won a Nobel Peace Prize, listened to science and condemned slurs about his birthplace.
She said the Obama Presidential Center is grounded in the Obamas’ stories, “but it has never been about us” and “it’s never been for us.”
In another pointed reference to Trump as he continues to battle with the Kennedy Center, she said a lasting legacy “isn’t an award or name on a building or number of zeros in a bank account, but the difference we make in one another’s lives.”
“…Hope is the essential spark that lights the fire of change, but hope is a choice. Whether or not we use our voices to speak up is a choice,” Michelle Obama said. “Voting is a choice. Being a decent human being is a choice. Believing that we still hold the power to build a country that reflects us all is a choice.”
Lessons in history
On a feel-good afternoon packed with A-list celebrities and dignitaries — including Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Dwyane Wade, Justin Trudeau Tyler Perry, Quinta Brunson, Mark Hamill, George Lucas and Stephen Colbert — the former president insisted his museum’s exhibits “are not meant to evoke nostalgia for some bygone era.”
“They’re meant to remind us of who we can be, to remind us of what’s possible so we can forge ahead, clear-eyed and confident and do the work that still needs to be done.”
Obama urged Americans to fight back against “cynicism and despair,” and reminded them of the basic shared values of the country’s democratic founding based on “certain unalienable rights.”
“And that in the newly independent United States, there will be no kings or lords, no serfs or subjects, but only citizens,” Obama said. “Each of us free to pursue our own version of happiness and able to determine our collective fate through an elected representative government.”
Obama said the country was founded on the belief that “no one is above the law or beneath its protection.
“A belief in checks and balances in our government, and an accountability that comes with an independent judiciary and a robust free press,” Obama said. “A belief that our military and law enforcement owe allegiance not to any president or political party, but to the people and our Constitution. A belief in the peaceful transfer of power after the people have spoken in fair and free elections, recognizing that in a large, complicated society like ours, no group or faction gets its way 100% of the time.”
He said those shared beliefs aren’t separated by political party, noting they were also shared by GOP opponents in his two presidential campaigns: John McCain and Mitt Romney.
Musical legends perform
The ceremony featured a who’s-who of Obama’s favorite musicians, many with ties to Chicago. Kicking things off pre-ceremony was hip-hop troupe The Roots, whose members have a long history with the former president, in particular drummer Questlove.
Pop star Christina Aguilera made a rare appearance at the event, tasked with singing one of Barack’s favorite songs, “What A Wonderful World.” Chicago native Jennifer Hudson sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” in a performance that took place just miles from where she grew up in Englewood.
Bruce Springsteen performed solo, stripping back a version of the gripping 2001 song “Land of Hopes and Dreams,” a song he has turned into a Democratic anthem and also performed at former President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer Tems, AKA Temilade Openiyi, performed Me & U,” notably included on Obama’s list of favorite music from 2023. And Latin pop star Marc Anthony rallied the crowd with a spirited take on “Vivir Mi Vida,” a tribute to living life in the moment and seizing the day.
Evanston’s own Eddie Vedder opted to debut an original number, “Better Believe,” which he wrote with Chicago teenagers from the nonprofit organization Guitars Over Guns. The nonprofit pairs students with professional musicians in an effort to deter violence and empower young creatives to pursue the arts.
Springsteen introduced one of his “great heroes,” Stevie Wonder, to the stage for the day’s grand finale. The legend, whose music was the centerpiece of the Obamas’ wedding ceremony in 1992, began his three-song set with spirited takes on “All I Do,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours),” and “Higher Ground.”
‘The audacity of taupe’
In a nod to Obama’s infamous 2014 fashion statement, tan suits were donned by several attendees, including Stephen Colbert, 7th Congressional District Democratic nominee La Shawn Ford, Obama Foundation Chair Martin Nesbitt, Oprah Winfrey, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Illinois and David Letterman.
Then-President Obama emerged on Aug. 28, 2014 to discuss foreign policy, but his tan suit stole all the glory. He wore a beige jacket and gray striped tie — with some criticizing his decision to wear such a casual color in a press conference about the possibility of military action in Syria.
“How do you all like my tan suit?” Nesbitt said at the podium on Thursday. “Looking good,” Obama said from his seat.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seated behind Obama, donned a large black sunhat, sunglasses and decorative scarf — often bopping to musical performances.
‘A promise kept’
Teenager Joi Jackson, who has dreams of one day becoming a politician, traveled with her family from Georgia to Chicago on Wednesday to witness what they described as “a historic moment.”
The family was one of hundreds who gathered at Midway Plaisance Park to celebrate the center’s opening. As Jackson, 13, watched people sing and dance, she said she felt grateful to be part of the moment.
“I like to see some people come together,” she said. “We all have something in common, we love our country together.”
Jackson’s father, Marshall Mabry, said the Obamas have been an inspiration for Black families. “They are our ancestors’ wildest dreams come true,” said Mabry. “They are a promise kept.”
The family plans to visit the center on Sunday.
For Joi, it will give her an opportunity to learn about the impact Obama had during his presidency.
“I wasn’t alive to see him get elected so I’m excited to be able to see what it was like,” said Joi. “I never got to experience it, so being able to see photos and videos is exciting. I can kind of get to live it.”
Unresolved issues
Not everyone was celebrating the Obama Center’s opening.
Picketers outside the center held signs reading “Justice for Obama Builders.” They claimed that several subcontractors haven’t been paid for their work to build the center, with unpaid bills adding up to millions of dollars.
“We want to be paid for the work we did,” said Omar Shareef, founder of the African American ContractorS Association, which is representing the contractors.
Shareef said he could not name the 10 contractors he represents due to non-disclosure agreements in their contracts. Eight of those contractors are African American-owned, he said.
The subcontractors range from concrete workers to interior designers, he said. The financial strain had led at least one of the contractors to file for bankruptcy, he said.
A complaint filed in federal court in Chicago by minority contractor Robert McGee claims his company was pushed to the brink of closure due to lack of coordination from the Obama Center’s structural engineer. The Obama Foundation, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, has stated that it paid its general contractor on time.
Contributing: David Struett