Thursday was a day of celebration on the South Side of Chicago, the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center and a full circle moment for Barack Obama, where he got his political start.
“And it was here in this city, a city of broad shoulders, that I found what I was looking for,” Obama said in remarks during the ceremony.
It was part homecoming and part long time coming for former President Barack Obama on Thursday as he helped dedicate his presidential center in Chicago, a moment that was years in the making.
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The 19-acre campus features a towering museum with exhibits on American history and Obama’s presidency, a regulation-sized basketball court, a new Chicago public library, and more. Now the 44th president hopes the space will help serve and educate the community for years into the future.
“We wanted it to be a vibrant, living celebration of community where we can learn together and share the joys of art and music and sport and play. Because it’s in those moments that we’re reminded of our common humanity,” Obama said.
In addition to Obama and former First Lady Michelle, three former presidents were on hand for the dedication ceremony, which also featured a star-studded lineup of performers including Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, Bruce Springsteen, and John Legend.
Thousands of locals came out for the ceremony, watching a live feed from a watch party at a nearby park, eager for a chance to visit the campus soon.
The center opens to the public on Friday. Admission to the campus is free to the public, but you do need a ticket to see the museum, and right now those tickets are sold out until November.
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