Obama Presidential Center opens in Chicago

Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama on Thursday attended the grand opening of their presidential center in their hometown of Chicago. The opening ceremony featured appearances by musical artists including Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Common, and Stevie Wonder. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden also attended alongside their wives, as did former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband.

How big is the center? The presidential center sprawls across 19.3 acres of land in Chicago’s South Side and features a museum, a public library, and acres of open grass. The center aims to inspire and equip visitors to take action to improve their local communities, according to its website. Museum tickets for the opening weekend were sold out ahead of Thursday’s opening ceremony, the center reported earlier this week.

The center’s grand opening was timed to coincide with the holiday weekend for Juneteenth, America’s newest national holiday. African Americans slaves first marked Juneteenth in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, when Union soldiers informed them the Civil War had ended and they were free. Celebrations often include parades, concerts, and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation. Former President Joe Biden in 2021 signed Public Law 177-17, making Juneteenth National Independence Day a federal holiday celebrated each year on June 19.

Dig deeper: Read Daniel R. Suhr’s column about how the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago almost gave Sen. Dick Durbin an award for respecting human dignity—despite his pro-abortion stance.