Obama Opens Presidential Center, Urges Americans to Reject Division

Former US President Barack Obama, celebrating the opening of a new museum and civic center dedicated to his eight years in the White House, called on Americans to resist political cynicism and division and instead embrace “our shared responsibilities as citizens,” Renee Hickman and Steve Gorman reported for Reuters.

Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle welcome the crowd during the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. (Photo: Michelle Obama Facebook)

The 44th president led a crowd of thousands on Thursday at the music-filled grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center, a lakefront campus in Chicago featuring granite architecture, public green spaces, and exhibits documenting his administration.

Obama was joined by former first lady Michelle Obama and a distinguished guest list that included three other former US presidents, several foreign leaders, and prominent musicians, including Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen.

The $850 million development, which opened to the public on Friday, represents one of the largest investments in decades on Chicago’s South Side, where the Obamas married and established their family home.

In separate speeches, Barack and Michelle Obama presented the center as a symbol of democratic values and civic engagement amid growing political polarization in the United States.

“A lasting legacy isn't in a war, or a name on a building or the number of zeros in a bank account; it's about the difference we make in one another's lives,” Michelle Obama said, praising her husband's optimism and leadership.

“With grace and class and cool, you made the hardest job in the world look like a walk in this beautiful park,” she added in remarks that visibly moved the former president to tears, Reuters reporters Emily Schmall and Bianca Flowers also reported.