‘I Wanted To…’ Barack Obama Opens Up During Deeply Personal Speech Alongside Michelle Obama

Hey everybody, what's going on? This is a nice project you guys were involved in. Way to go, team. Thank you. Thank you for everything you all have done to create what is a magical place. I have been on the site during construction, but because of my schedule, the first time I toured the finished museum was Friday. And to say that, it left me emotional and speechless, even though I knew what the plans were and knew what the background was to walk into that space and to see the amount of professionalism and artistry and love and care that has gone into creating what I hope will be a center that really changes the trajectory of the people, especially the young people who grew up in this community that I call home. The south side of Chicago is my home. Every inch of this neighborhood. And to be able to look out across and see the south side of Chicago, to see the beauty of our parks, to finally be able to see that there's a lagoon over there that is safe to walk in, where children are playing and couples are holding hands, that Chicago wasn't available to me my entire life. It was not available. It was closed down. It was boarded off. It was uncared for. It wasn't invested in. And the message to me and to kids like me is that we weren't worth investing in. So that in order for us to have access to beautiful parks and art and museum, we had to get on a bus or a train or hope that our parents could afford to pay for parking downtown, to go into spaces that sometimes treated us like we didn't belong. And now we have this. And we have that too. But I think the OPC will be the beginning of telling the kids in this community that they are just as important, just as capable, just as valuable. And what so I hope that when you think about this project and all that you all contributed to making it happen, that you know that this beautiful campus is going to change lives. And I hope you feel really, really good about it. And I am so proud of my husband. He's really messed up. I'm giving him some time. Because this beautiful skirt that my stylist Meredith Koop picked out, that is a portrait, my favorite portrait of my mom. He didn't know it existed until just a few minutes ago. And I've had a few weeks to settle down in the beauty of this skirt. But it's messing him up for good reason. But Marion would have been so proud. She was so proud of her son-in-law. And the man that he is and has been to our family. Always dreaming probably way too big. But always pulling it off. Thank you for doing this for the south side of Chicago. I love you. Hello, Chicago. So I'm stealing a few lines from what I'm going to say at the actual opening. So you don't have to come. So you don't. Or at least you can mute it until Michelle talks. So I actually came to Chicago right there. I'd been hired to organize on the south side by some churches. I was coming from New York, bought a janky old car, stuffed it with all my stuff, drove through Pennsylvania, Ohio, took the 90 all the way, got to the Skyway, and came down the Skyway onto Stoney and then was directed through this park where there was a four-lane highway, Cornell Drive, right there. I was 25 years old. And I knew I wanted to do something meaningful with my life. And I knew I wanted to be involved in community. And I wanted to help uplift folks who had been forgotten. And I didn't quite know how I was going to do that, but this community embraced me and gave me a chance. And I grew up here. And I met the love of my life here. And my daughters were born here. And I represent this district. And I announced my first candidacy at the Ramada Inn on Lakeshore Drive. And my office was on 71st. And I taught law at the University of Chicago right down the midway. And our first home was over in Eastview Park. You can walk from here. And most of what has been most important in my life is because of this place and the people here, because the people here taught me resilience and courage and hope. And so when I went to Washington and then when we started campaigning around the country, I was carrying a piece of this community with me the entire time, all through the White House, my entire eight years. So for us to be able to situate all those lessons learned, all the values that we tried to project and embody during the eight years we were in office together, for us to be able to give that to this community is really important to us. And that couldn't have happened without the dedication and professionalism and effort and headaches and problem solving and talent and artistry and skill of the people here today. So it is with deep gratitude that I stand here today. Just appreciate everything that all of you have done to help make this possible. I am a little shaken up by this because I love my mother-in-law. And she made a home for Michelle and Craig, not with a lot, but with a lot of love and hope and perspective and wisdom. And her husband, Frazier Robinson, who got up every day and went down to what, right next to Navy Pier, working as a, you know, in the water reclamation district, you know, he showed what it means to work hard and to put family first. And so they represent to me what's best about this country and what's best about our values. And the people who aren't trying to get every last nickel and aren't cutting corners when it comes to values and treat people high and low with respect and kindness and handle their business, just salt of the earth, bedrock people. And they're people like that all across the south side of Chicago. And they're people like that all across this great country of ours. And their voices are not heard because we've got a set of institutions that have fallen victim to the siren song of everything's about money and everything's about attention and everything's about fame and everything's about getting over. But meanwhile, there are just a lot of people out here who are just doing the right thing and raising their families and taking care of people. And so it's fitting that she's with us. Here today, because part of what we want this center to be is a reminder of those people and to make sure this country is true to their spirit. Because if we do that, then I think we're going to be OK. And I want our kids to be reminded of that and our grandkids. And 50 years from now, I want people to remember that's what we should be about. So thank you. Appreciate you. Enjoy the celebration. Bring your family. Bring your friends. Mark with pride what you've accomplished. Thank you, everybody. God bless you.