I would read letters like Emily’s every night in the White House. They were powerful reminders of why the work we did mattered, and who we were fighting for.
When folks visit the Obama Presidential Center, my hope is that they see their stories reflected in the exhibits, and leave inspired to change their own neighborhoods.
My sister Maya and I were profoundly shaped by the influence of our mom, Ann Dunham. Giving Maya a preview of the Obama Presidential Center, including a new sculpture by Maya Lin dedicated to our mom’s memory, was truly special.
You can listen to the first two episodes of Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise on @Audible_com and your favorite podcast platform or watch on YouTube. https://t.co/YevWQzqUYI
Reconstruction was a pivotal and turbulent chapter in our nation’s history – and its consequences are still being felt today. With @HGMedia's Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise, I hope folks can rediscover an essential part of our past and remember that even in moments of deep conflict and contradiction, persistence and perseverance remain powerful sources of hope.
So much of my story—and Barack's—runs through the South Side of Chicago. We had so much fun going down memory lane with @People, sharing moments from the decades we've spent together, the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, and the work we still have left to do in our next chapter. We hope you'll check out the interview: https://t.co/N7HgrjrQRj
It was great catching up with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center. We spoke about the game we love, what it means to open the Center in Chicago, and why understanding our history is so important for navigating the world today. We had a lot of fun—check out our conversation on @allthesmokeprod: https://t.co/IPjhq5sfSi
It was such a joy getting to spend time with Joe and Jill, George and Laura, and Bill and Hillary last week. Barack and I will always be grateful for your constant friendship and support of our family over the years.
(And George, thanks for the mints!)
The Obama Presidential Center might be named for the Obamas, but it is built for you. It’s a vibrant, living celebration of community. A monument to unshakable values: equality, empathy, and inclusion. A beacon of hope.
It’s a place we hope you’re going to come back to again and again.
Michelle and I loved reading to this bright group of kids today!
We hope this new Chicago Public Library branch at the Obama Presidential Center will be a place where folks come to read, check out books, and connect with one another for years to come.
President Barack Obama spoke about our shared American values, and our collective responsibility to strengthen democracy at the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center.
Barack: You told me all those years ago that you couldn’t promise me the world, but you could promise me an interesting life. Of course, you outdid yourself and managed to give me both.
Eight years in the crucible, and not once did you melt from the heat. Not once did you let it harden you. Instead, you used it to reveal your truest essence: your stubborn optimism and unflinching courage, your dazzling brilliance and unpretentious decency, your ferocious work ethic and absolutely unshakable moral fiber.
If we can reclaim the spirit that so many of you showed all those years ago—the spirit that has inspired generations of Americans to answer the call of their time—then together, we can see America through its present trial, align our politics with our highest ideals, and write a brilliant new chapter in America’s best story.
Yes, we can.
More than 40 years ago, I arrived in Chicago in search of an idea. I was a young man looking for purpose, who believed deeply in America, was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, and wanted to be a part of something larger. The America I believed in was one where everyone has opportunity, everyone is seen, everyone belongs—because that was an America that had a place for me, too.
I know these are difficult times, when it may seem like so much of what we fought for has been undone or hangs in the balance. But I know we will prevail—because you’ve shown me what’s possible.
I see it in the @ObamaFoundation Leaders, Scholars, and changemakers who are pointing a way forward. In the new generation of faith, civic, and elected leaders rising up in cities and state capitals. And in people and communities who are doing their best to change our country for the better.