Ex-presidents of the U.S. often open a "presidential library" of memorabilia.
The "Barack Obama Presidential Center" will open on Juneteenth 2026, but this is different from prior "presidential libraries".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_Presidential_Center
According to the wikipedia page, there was fundraising to get it built, but it will be owned by the City of Chicago.
They're calling it a "presidential center" and not a "presidential library"
because it won't be solely a museum. There will be some memorabilia, but it will also have space for public art, green spaces, a basketball court, and space for community events, and there will be included within it a branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Obama talks about it here, and says it's "your presidential center" as in the "collective you" meaning all of the USA. It belongs to us and not just him.
https://bsky.app/profile/barackobama.bsky.social/post/3mgi4gvfonk2q
Today, Michelle and I are proud to announce that we will be hosting the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center on June 18th in Chicago, and welcoming the public on June 19th.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVllvVfDRT5/
barackobama
When visitors look up at the Obama Presidential Center’s Museum building, they’ll see three words: “You are America.”
Those words come from a speech I gave in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. They’re meant to honor the men and women who came before us, and to inspire the next generation to be messengers of hope.
That hope will have a home at the Obama Presidential Center.
Excerpt of transcripts from youtube:
And thank you for embracing this Presidential Center not as something of mine, but of yours.
This community has always understood that the glorious task of perfecting our union is never easy, but it is always worth it.
It is easy to look around right now and feel like the challenges we face are simply too big. But hope is not about ignoring the hard stuff. It is that thing inside us that insists something better awaits if we are willing to work for it.
This is a place where a child from next door or across the globe can sit behind the Resolute Desk and imagine how they could help create a better world.
This is not a monument to the past — it is a living destination for people who refuse to accept the status quo. If you feel that way, this is your invitation to join us.
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janea4old ·
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