Obama Presidential Center to open to the public on Juneteenth with dedication ceremony

The Obama Presidential Center will open to the public tomorrow on Juneteenth, and organizers said the former president and first lady will host a dedication ceremony. The field report said the campus, spread across 19.3 acres, includes a museum, a new branch of the Chicago Public Library and an NBA regulation-sized basketball court.

Valerie Jarrett, a longtime adviser to President Obama, described the center as "an extraordinary gift back to their hometown and to their community," calling it an economic engine for Chicago's South Side and "a beacon of hope for the world." The report also cited remarks attributed to the Obama Foundation's CEO saying the campus should feel welcoming to people "whether you're from down the street or around the world."

Luis Bernard, the museum director, said the exhibits showcase the living legacy of the former first couple and emphasized local focus: "They are about the power and place of Chicago. They're about the idea of different voices and practices coming together. They're about memory and place, the power of color to transport people," he said.

The architects said the museum's shape is based on a visual of four hands coming together, a design meant to reflect the idea that many hands shape a space. The reporter noted the campus is already active with school field trips and group tours of early exhibits, and that visitors often look up and feel the center "belongs to them."

In Chicago, Lee Waldman reported.