Obama Center opens in Chicago with a call to defend democracy and a celebrity crowd
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Former President Barack Obama, joined by three former presidents, celebrated the opening of his presidential museum in Chicago. The event brought together world leaders, A-list celebrities, athletes and other internationally known figures.
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The Obama Presidential Center opens in Chicago to the general public on Juneteenth after a celebratory dedication in Chicago with dignitaries. (AP video by Obed Lamy)
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Former President Barack Obama, right, shares a laugh with former first lady Michelle Obama, left, on stage during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
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Former President Joe Biden, from left, former President Barack Obama, former President George W. Bush, and former President Bill Clinton, pose for a photo ahead of the dedication ceremony at the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)
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Former President Barack Obama, back center, and former first lady Michelle Obama, right, arrive on stage with their daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama, during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
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Former President Barack Obama reacts to remarks by former first lady Michelle Obama during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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People watch the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center from Midway Plaisance, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
By SCOTT BAUER Updated 1:48 PM PDT, June 18, 2026
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Former President Barack Obama formally opened his presidential center in Chicago on Thursday with a call to defend democracy as three former presidents joined him on stage in an extraordinary event featuring politicians, A-list celebrities, athletes and other internationally known figures.
“I hope this center will serve as an affirmation of just how special, how precious our democracy truly is and remind us what we can achieve when we embrace our shared responsibilities as citizens,” the nation’s first Black president told the crowd.
Bono, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony and Eddie Vedder took turns on the stage ahead of Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder, who closed the show singing “Higher Ground” as the former presidents, world leaders and others danced along.
President Donald Trump was conspicuous both in his physical absence and by not being mentioned by any of the speakers or performers. Trump called the $850 million center a “total disaster” in a social media post in February.
Obama voiced his support for character, honesty, integrity, kindness, compassion and sense of duty, praising both Democrats and Republicans, including those he defeated.
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“Every president here today, as different as we are, has tried our best to uphold values that John McCain and Mitt Romney believed in no less than I did,” Obama said. “It is our greatest inheritance.”
Reflecting on his arrival in Chicago in 1985 as an untested political organizer, he said he could not have built the Obama Presidential Center anywhere else. He met his future wife Michelle nearby, their wedding reception was within walking distance, his children were born in the neighborhood and he launched his first candidacy not far away.
“It’s an expression of thanks, an acknowledgment that so much of what I hold most dear I owe to the people of this city and the people of the surrounding neighborhoods,” Obama said.
Michelle had some emotional words for her husband
The Obamas and their daughters shared the stage with former presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton along with former first ladies Jill Biden, Laura Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and many other leading Democrats were in the audience.
Michelle Obama spoke directly to her husband when she stepped up to the podium. “Eight years in the crucible and not once did you melt in the heat. Not once did you let it harden you.
“Instead, you used it to reveal your truest essence,” she said. “Your stubborn optimism and unflinching courage. Your dazzling brilliance and unpretentious decency. Your ferocious work ethic and absolutely unshakable moral fiber. And to do it all as a first.”
She ticked off highlights from her husband’s eight years in office, including ordering the raid that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, “standing up for marriage equality” and “listening to science.”
“And you did it all with such grace and class and cool,” she said. “You made the hardest job in the world look like a walk in this beautiful park.”
Obama appeared to wipe away a tear as she praised him.
Michelle Obama also referenced the current “anxious and divisive times” and warned against being cynical or complacent as “everything feels so upside down.” She pitched the center as “a respite from all that.”
Read more: Obama Presidential Center holds opening – AP NewsContinue/Read Original Article: Obama Presidential Center holds opening | AP News
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