Valerie Jarrett delivered remarks at the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 19, 2023 [1].
The opening marks the establishment of a physical hub designed to inspire future generations through civic engagement. By launching on Juneteenth, the center explicitly ties its mission to the celebration of African-American history and the pursuit of equality.
Jarrett, the CEO of the Obama Foundation and a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, emphasized the inclusive nature of the facility. During the ceremony, she said that the foundation wants visitors to feel a sense of ownership over the space. "We want people to feel this place belongs to them," Jarrett said [2].
The event drew nearly 500 supporters and contributors to the site in Illinois [1]. The gathering served as a public introduction to the center's goal of transforming the visitor experience from passive observation to active community participation.
Jarrett urged those attending the ceremony to view the center not as a final destination, but as a catalyst for local change. She said she wants visitors to translate the inspiration they find at the center into tangible action within their own neighborhoods. "I want them to feel challenged to go back home and bring what they felt here back into their own communities," Jarrett said [3].
The center is positioned as a resource for leadership development and community organizing. By focusing on the concept of belonging, the foundation aims to bridge the gap between the legacy of the 44th president and the ongoing civic efforts of citizens across the U.S.
“"We want people to feel this place belongs to them."”
The opening of the Obama Presidential Center on Juneteenth signals a strategic shift in the traditional presidential library model. Rather than serving primarily as a museum of past achievements, the center is designed as an active tool for civic mobilization. By framing the space as belonging to the public, the Obama Foundation is attempting to institutionalize a model of leadership that prioritizes grassroots community empowerment over static historical preservation.
