Thousands of people across the country pour into Chicago for the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center
CHICAGO -- Former President Barack Obama and Former First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off their celebration Thursday and made sure to have the presidential center open to the public for Juneteenth.
Many visitors have described the day as one full of joy and unity, sharing their stories about how they ended up in Chicago for the day. However, those aren't the only stories being told at the Obama Presidential Center. The stories of triumph and freedom are built-in all throughout this campus.
Walking throughout the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago, you could see history. You could hear joy from the kids playing on the playground and you could feel unity as strangers danced together.
People from Chicago, Missouri, the DMZ, Atlanta, and more made their way to Chicago to celebrate this weekend's grand opening.
"I have pre-k students and all I was saying was "oh my gosh, I have to take them here on a field trip."
People also traveled to celebrate Juneteenth, the federal holiday created after African American slaves in Galveston, Texas found out they were free two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, and two months after the civil war ended.
Stephanie Allen, native of Chicago's south side, says she couldn't do anything but just take it all in.
"It's its own celebration in its own way. It’s bringing people from around the world to know that it’s a "we." We are free, but we are part of what it means to be free," said Allen.
Remember this saying from 2008?
"Yes, we can."
That's what Ricky Blanding and a handful of other ceramicists said when they were tasked with creating 1,000 handmade tiles to pay tribute to Harriet Tubman.
"It’s called The Hem of Heaven, which is a large scale, ceramic depiction of Harriet Tubman's shawl that she infamously wore in a lot of the pictures that we have her," explained Blanding.
Drawing inspiration from the midnight sky that guided enslaved people to freedom, Blanding not only paid tribute to history; he is now part of it.
“My work revolves around trying to maintain a connection to science and in these tiles, I propose that maybe the warrior gene is the reason why Harriet Tubman was so courageous and so bold and relentless in her fight to freedom.”
So, if you ever find yourself wanting to learn about history like Ariella Acono, you can visit the library or the museum. Maybe you're looking for some positivity like a group of young man who were eager to talk with ABC57.
You can visit the 60,000 sq foot multi-purpose space which includes an NBA regulation size court, or you can visit the playground.
The museum includes a full-scale oval office replica and fashion from Former First Lady Michelle Obama. Entry is free to Illinois residents on Tuesdays. The full campus includes a museum, new parkland, a forum space, the Chicago Public Library Branch, home court which is a multi-purpose facility, the John Lewis Plaza, the Eleanor Roosevelt fruit and vegetable garden, a playground and a Skyroom with views of Lake Michigan.