CHICAGO — Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama made an unexpected appearance Friday, personally welcoming the very first 100 people to walk through the doors of the newly opened Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
Joining the Obamas was former “Reading Rainbow” host LeVar Burton, and together the three read Maurice Sendak’s classic “Where the Wild Things Are” to a group of 25 schoolchildren at the Chicago Public Library branch located inside the center. When Barack Obama read Sendak’s line about being “king of all the wild things,” Michelle Obama drew applause by chiming in with, “Although there were no kings.”
Guests were then treated to an unforgettable moment, shaking hands with the former president and first lady in front of a stunning 38-foot-tall mural depicting a colorful map of Chicago stretching from floor to ceiling. The artwork draws inspiration from Carl Sandburg’s 1914 poem about the city, which describes Chicago as “stormy, husky, brawling, City of the Big Shoulders.”
Once the last of the initial group of visitors had passed through, the Obamas slipped away and the center opened its doors to the remaining guests.
The center’s debut fell on Juneteenth, coming on the heels of a high-profile dedication ceremony where the Obamas delivered passionate speeches before an audience that included three former presidents, their former first ladies, and a wide array of politicians, celebrities, musicians, and athletes. Thousands of additional supporters watched the event via livestream from a nearby park.
A full weekend of activities is planned at the expansive campus, which sits on Chicago’s South Side near the neighborhood where the Obamas once lived and where Barack Obama launched his political career. The grounds are adjacent to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in a lakefront park and are located not far from the University of Chicago.
Tickets for the general public are already sold out through the end of November, but those who managed to secure passes for opening day received an unexpected bonus — a face-to-face meeting with the Obamas themselves.
The campus is home to a soaring museum chronicling both the political legacy and personal lives of the nation’s first Black president and first lady. Public amenities on the grounds include a Chicago Public Library branch, a playground, an athletic center, basketball courts, and a picnic area complete with grills.
The museum tower’s architectural design is intended to represent four hands joining together in solidarity. Wrapped along one side of the structure are 5-foot-tall concrete letters spelling out an excerpt from Barack Obama’s 2015 speech marking the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery march. The passage begins with the words, “You are America.”
