0:00 More than 40 years ago, on a late summer afternoon in 1985,
0:09 I arrived here in Chicago,
0:13 entering the city through the very spot where this center now stands.
0:21 I can still picture myself heading down what was
0:24 then Cornell Drive and a janky used car
0:30 that I'd bought in New York with all my worldly possessions stuffed in the
0:36 trunk and the back seat.
0:38 So, I really couldn't see out of the rearview mirror
0:41 and I was a safety hazard.
0:47 and I was 23 years old.
0:49 I had just been hired by a group of churches on the south side
0:55 to help organize a part of the city
0:59 that had been battered by steel plant closings
1:03 and chronic neglect.
1:08 And I didn't have much organizing experience.
1:12 Didn't know anybody in Chicago.
1:18 But I had been inspired by the civil rights movement
1:23 and I knew I wanted to make a difference.
1:29 And although I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to do that,
1:35 I was possessed with this abiding faith.
1:42 that if we could give people more of a say in the forces
1:45 that govern their lives,
1:49 if we could bridge some of the differences that drove us apart,
1:56 then we could build an America where everyone counts
2:00 and everyone has a fair shot
2:04 and everyone belongs. even a mixed race kid with a weird backstory
2:12 and a name nobody could pronounce.
2:19 And it was here in this city, a city of broad shoulders,
2:26 that I found what I was looking for.
2:33 Day by day, block by block,
2:35 I got to know the people who lived here. their hopes, their dreams,
2:42 their tragedies, and their triumphs.
2:46 I witnessed their resilience in the face of hardship
2:51 and the quiet heroism of a single mom raising her kids
2:55 and sending them to college on a secretary salary.
3:00 or the priest electing to stay in the city
3:05 and open his doors to atrisisk youth even
3:08 as mo most of his flock had fled to the suburbs.
3:15 I learned that leadership has less to do with titles
3:19 or rank or chasing attention than with helping others find their voice,
3:27 reaching their potential. and sitting around people's kitchen tables or on their back porches,
3:37 spending time in church basement and barber shops.
3:43 I was reminded that everyone has a story to tell
3:47 if you just care to listen. sacred stories full of courage
3:56 and humor and grace
4:00 and that each of those stories in some way connected to my own.
4:08 In other words, I found my purpose here
4:11 and I fortified my faith here
4:13 and I found my community here.
4:17 Friendships that would last a lifetime.
4:21 And I found a girl from the southside who has been my greatest blessing.
4:30 Michelle and I, our wedding reception was over at Southshore Cultural Center.
4:36 You you could walk from walk from here.
4:41 Our daughters were born right down the street.
4:47 This is where we bought our first home.
4:51 This is where our kids took their first steps.
4:55 This is where I launched my candidacy for the Illinois State Senate over at
5:01 the Ramada Inn on Lakeshore Drive,
5:06 serving pretzels and soda,
5:11 embarking on the path that ultimately and improbably led to this day.
5:20 So for me, this center could not be any place else.
5:30 It's an it's an expression of thanks,
5:34 an acknowledgment that so much of what I hold most dear I owe to
5:39 the people of this city
5:42 and the people of these surrounding neighborhoods.
5:49 And it's why we designed the center not not to be some lifeless mausoleum.
5:54 I am too young for that.
6:00 Not just a place to see Michelle's dresses,
6:03 although I understand that will be the top attraction.
6:09 We wanted it to be a vibrant living celebration of community where we can
6:16 learn together and share the joys of art
6:20 and music and sport
6:23 and play.
6:28 Because it's in those moments
6:31 that we're reminded of our common humanity.
6:40 and and strengthen the bonds of trust
6:43 that not only make our lives richer
6:45 but make our democracy stronger.
6:52 Now, we also wanted this center to be a celebration of the extraordinary public
6:58 servants,
6:58 many of whom are here today that made this journey possible.
7:05 Some of you helped get me elected.
7:09 Some of you I had to talk into joining my administration.
7:15 Some of you were seasoned veterans who helped show a rookie president the ropes.
7:24 But a lot of you were younger than I was
7:26 when I first drove into this city.
7:31 And we're all a bit older now.
7:33 Many of you have children of your own, even grandchildren.
7:38 But the passage of time has only deepened my admiration for your talent
7:42 and your dedication and your skill.
7:46 It's only deepened my gratitude for how much you
7:48 and your families sacrifice to make this country better.
7:52 So when you visit this center today or in days to come,
7:57 I hope you see yourselves and your hard work reflected in every exhibit.
8:03 And I hope you take pride in what we accomplished together.
8:09 You made that happen.
8:17 Now, of course, we did not accomplish everything we set out to do.
8:23 No administration does.
8:25 Some of the exhibits reflect unfinished business.
8:29 In some cases, my own shortcomings and mistakes.
8:34 In some cases, because as a sign I kept on the resolute desk read,
8:39 "Hard things are hard."
8:43 And that's especially true in a big rockus, diverse,
8:52 argumentative democracy like the United States of America.
8:57 Everybody's got an opinion.
9:01 And that means getting stuff done involves reconciling the demands of a couple of
9:06 hundred million people.
9:12 Democracy can be frustrating.
9:15 It can be slow.
9:16 It can be inefficient.
9:21 And yet, more than anything,
9:22 I hope this center will serve as an affirmation of just how special,
9:28 how precious our democracy truly is
9:32 and remind us what we can achieve
9:34 when we embrace our shared responsibilities
9:37 as citizens.
9:45 And and since we're a few weeks away from America's 250th birthday,
9:50 it is worth remembering just how radical the whole idea of self-government really was
9:56 back in 1776.
10:01 To that point, human history was a tale of conquest
10:06 and cast and rigid hierarchies.
10:11 A world where the strong dominated the weak,
10:15 where power and wealth
10:17 and status flowed through lineage
10:21 and the many were ruled by the few.
10:28 But out of the fire and steel of a revolution,
10:31 a different story took flight.
10:33 On this continent, a declaration that we are all created equal,
10:40 endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights,
10:43 and that in the newly independent United States,
10:46 there will be no kings or lords, no surfs or subjects, but only citizens.
10:54 Each of us free to pursue our own version of happiness
10:58 and able to determine our collective fate through an elected representative government.
11:05 It had not been done.
11:10 And because it hadn't been done before,
11:12 the success of this experiment was never a given.
11:19 In forming our union, the founders fell terribly short of the declaration's promise,
11:26 leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who own
11:33 property.
11:37 But in drafting a constitution and a bill of rights,
11:40 they did have the foresight,
11:42 the genius to provide us with a framework
11:45 that allows each generation to make our union more perfect.
11:52 And over more than two centuries, through petitions and protests, marches and strikes,
12:00 moral appeals from the pulpit and conversations at the family dinner table.
12:07 Men and women from all walks of life, of every color, every faith,
12:12 every region, took up the cause of democracy and made it their own.
12:18 Until we, the people, came to include not just some of us,
12:22 but all of us.
12:31 And that's why the story we tell in this building begins not with Michelle's
12:37 origins or my origins,
12:38 but with our nations, with a founding era print of the Declaration of Independence,
12:46 and a pen and ink stand used by Frederick Douglas, Lincoln's Bible,
12:52 and a pamphlet by Ida B. belts, suffragist buttons,
12:57 and a hard hat worn by FDR's labor secretary, Francis Perkins.
13:03 And it's why the exhibits here focus not just on policies,
13:08 but on the shared values that make democracy possible.
13:15 A belief in the intrinsic dignity
13:18 and worth of all people
13:20 and that no one is above the law
13:23 or beneath its protection.
13:27 A belief in checks
13:28 and balances in our government
13:29 and an accountability that comes with an independent judiciary
13:33 and a robust free press.
13:37 A belief that our military
13:39 and law enforcement owe allegiance not to any president
13:43 or political party,
13:45 but to the people and our constitution.
13:50 A belief in the peaceful transfer of power after the people have spoken in
13:55 fair and free elections,
13:56 recognizing that in a large, complicated society like ours,
14:00 no group or faction gets its way 100% of the time.
14:07 and a belief that qualities of character,
14:12 honesty, integrity, kindness, compassion, a sense of duty and honor.
14:22 Those things matter in our public dealings just
14:26 as they do in our private lives.
14:29 These are not the these are the values and traditions I believe in.
14:40 And they are not Republican or Democratic values.
14:44 They are American values we can all share regardless of party.
14:49 Values every president here today, as different as we are,
14:52 has tried our best to uphold. values
14:56 that John McCain and Mitt Romney believed in no less than I did.
15:02 It is our greatest inheritance,
15:05 the story of America at its best
15:08 because it reflects a basic faith in the decency of our fellow citizens
15:15 and the possibility that despite all of our differences,
15:19 we can see each other and understand one another and make common cause together.
15:32 That's what I hope every visitor to this center takes away from their experience.
15:38 And that's why if you come for a day
15:44 and you don't have time to see everything,
15:46 I would urge you to skip the clips of my speeches.
15:51 You have heard them all before. in favor of the stories of those ordinary
15:58 citizens who helped make
15:59 that change happen.
16:03 The cancer survivor who feared rising premiums would force her out of her home
16:09 and was brave enough to speak out about it.
16:12 She's why we pushed so hard for healthcare reform.
16:17 The small business owner trying to keep the lights on. the teenage girl who
16:23 told me she was worried her dad might lose his job in the auto
16:26 crisis.
16:27 They're why we focus so relently,
16:30 relentlessly on pulling our economy back from the Great Recession.
16:36 The wounded warrior overcoming debilitating injuries.
16:43 The gay Air Force major serving her country even
16:46 when forced to hide who she was.
16:48 They're why we worked to end don't ask don't tell
16:52 and care for those who've worn our country's uniform
16:56 and do right by our military families.
17:00 It's their voices that led to our successes.
17:09 And while going through the exhibits,
17:11 I'd also ask you listen to the voices of people around the world who've
17:15 been inspired by American ideas.
17:21 Yes, America has made its share of foreign policy mistakes.
17:29 Our actions have not always matched our rhetoric.
17:34 We've learned that we can't solve every conflict
17:36 or solve or stop every atrocity around the globe,
17:40 but at our best,
17:43 the United States has been an undeniable force for good in the world.
17:48 And what I heard on every continent
17:50 as president is that
17:53 when America when American foreign policy lives up to our highest ideals,
17:58 when we champion human rights and democracy and the sound stewardship of our planet.
18:06 When we take the lead in eradicating disease
18:08 and feeding the hungry
18:11 and educating children.
18:14 When we encourage cooperation between nations instead of trying to dominate
18:21 and bully and squeeze every advantage just
18:25 because we can.
18:28 And and most of all,
18:29 when we show through our example here at home
18:32 that even a country
18:34 as big and diverse
18:36 as ours can make democracy work,
18:39 it turns out all nations, including ours,
18:42 become more prosperous and secure and the world gets a little bit brighter.
18:54 I recognize it's been almost a decade since I left office.
19:02 In that time, we have lived through more war and a terrible pandemic,
19:09 economic disruptions, mass protests, backlash against mass protests,
19:15 political conflicts that have shaken the very foundation of our democracy.
19:22 We've witnessed a technological revolution that promises remarkable discoveries, could revolutionize medicine,
19:36 but is also accelerating inequality
19:43 that puts all the world's information in the palm of our hands,
19:46 but somehow makes it harder for us to tell a truth from a lie
19:52 that connects us instantly like never before.
19:58 Even as it makes us more distrustful
20:01 and more withdrawn and more fearful
20:05 and more isolated from each other.
20:11 It's a lot for millions of people in this country and around the world.
20:19 The future feels uncertain, the ground unstable beneath our feet.
20:27 And as algorithms keep feeding us a steady stream of distraction and outrage,
20:33 as only the loudest, most extreme voices get attention, fanning our prejudices,
20:41 appealing to our basist, most tribal instincts.
20:47 It's tempting to give in to cynicism and even despair, to stop trying.
20:57 We start thinking that appeals to democracy
20:59 and civic participation are corny
21:03 and old-fashioned and boring
21:07 and naive.
21:10 That the very idea of working on behalf of the common good is a
21:13 sucker's bet. and that in order for us to win,
21:20 somebody else has got to lose.
21:23 I get it.
21:26 I am not immune to anger or doubt.
21:33 But I do know this.
21:35 When we lose faith in each other, when we stop believing that voting matters,
21:43 that citizenship matters, that our collective voices matter,
21:48 that how we treat each other no longer matters,
21:54 then we give away our power to decide our own futures.
22:00 We open the door to the most ruthless
22:03 or the most careless
22:05 or the most fearful among us.
22:12 Who see some groups
22:13 and some people as more equal than others
22:18 and see government as nothing more than a way to divvy up the spoils
22:22 and punish enemies and keep those who are different in their place.
22:32 I do not believe
22:33 that is the story of America
22:35 that prevails in the end.
22:41 I don't believe it because for us to give up,
22:44 for us to give in now after all this country's been through to cynicism
22:49 and division would be a betrayal of our founding ideas,
22:55 a betrayal of our faith.
22:57 And I remain convinced that the overwhelming majority of Americans feel the same way.
23:05 That as unsettled as we are, people aren't looking for perpetual anger and division.
23:13 They are looking for fairness and common sense and mutual respect.
23:18 That deep in our gut,
23:20 we want to find a way to turn towards each other again,
23:24 not further away.
23:34 I believe this because I've seen it all across our country in cities
23:41 that have worked together to reclaim their streets from crime.
23:45 In rural communities that have rebuilt their economy,
23:49 in businesses that are finding new ways to make housing affordable.
23:55 And those ordinary people in the Twin Cities who brave frigid temperatures,
24:01 risk their own safety,
24:03 standing shouldertosh shoulder to look out for their neighbors
24:07 and sometimes look out for strangers
24:09 because they knew that was the right thing to do.
24:12 I've seen it.
24:21 And I've seen it in a new generation of leaders here
24:25 and around the world like Pune
24:29 and and Addison.
24:32 Leaders who are determined to make our governments
24:36 and our economies and our societies work for everyone.
24:40 Obama Foundation leaders like Hannah,
24:43 a food corps member from rural Ohio who's helping ensure every child has access
24:49 to at least one nourishing meal.
24:53 Or George, an entrepreneur who whose nonprofit helps get unused, unexpired medicine,
25:00 often at no cost, to people who need it. or Zuzanna,
25:05 a human rights lawyer in Poland who's won more than 30 landmark cases.
25:10 There are thousands, tens of thousand,
25:12 hundreds of thousands of these young people out there making a difference right now.
25:21 And this center is devoted to lifting up their stories,
25:26 giving them the tools and support they need to expand their impact.
25:32 For while our work is nonpartisan, we are not valuesneutral.
25:40 We have a point of view.
25:47 The exhibits in the center are not meant to evoke nostalgia for some gauzy
25:54 bygone era,
25:57 some unattainable past that we can dream about and say, "Oh, we miss you,
26:08 Barack."
26:08 They're meant They're meant to remind us of who we can be,
26:17 to remind us of what's possible
26:20 so we can forge ahead cleareyed
26:23 and confident and do the work
26:27 that still needs to be done.
26:31 We can learn from the past.
26:34 But America's story isn't frozen in the past.
26:42 It has chapters yet to be written.
26:45 Not by one person or a few people.
26:48 Not by Barack and Michelle
26:50 or anybody with a fancy title
26:54 or a high office,
26:56 but by all of us.
27:01 You know, uh, one of the things a lot of presidential libraries now have
27:05 in common is a replica of the Oval Office.
27:09 And if you take a peek at the one inside this building,
27:13 you will see some objects
27:14 that carried some special meaning for me during the time
27:19 that I was in office.
27:23 There's a program that a friend from the southside gave me
27:28 that he had retrieved from the 1963 March on Washington.
27:33 He was there.
27:37 There's a Norman Rockwell painting of the Statue of Liberty with workers hanging on
27:46 ropes burnishing the torch
27:49 that she holds a loft.
27:52 And on the rug, you'll read words from some of America's greatest leaders,
27:56 including a quote that inspired
27:58 that arch that you see right there at the south end of the plaza
28:03 by Martin Purer.
28:05 The ark of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.
28:10 And it's a quote that was often invoked by Dr.
28:13 Martin Luther King, Jr.,
28:15 But it originally comes from a Boston minister's sermon more than 170 years ago.
28:23 And at the time, the abolitionist cause seemed lost.
28:30 The compromise of 1850 had made harboring fugitive slaves a crime under federal law,
28:37 even if even in those states that had abolished slavery.
28:43 And in a case that garnered national attention,
28:45 a young fugitive in Boston had been seized
28:49 and tried and marched to the warf by hundreds of armed officers where he
28:54 was summarily put on a ship bound for the south where he would remain
29:00 in shackles and chains.
29:05 And it was a moment of profound uncertainty and despair.
29:12 A moment the minister called darker than any New England had witnessed.
29:22 We do not see Reverend Theodore Parker observed
29:28 that justice is always done on earth.
29:32 Many a nave is rich, sleek, and honored, while the just man is poor,
29:43 hated, and in torment.
29:48 I do not pretend, the preacher said, to understand the moral universe.
29:53 The ark is a long one.
29:56 My eye reaches but little ways.
29:59 I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight.
30:08 I can divine it by conscience.
30:12 But from what I see, I am sure it bends towards justice.
30:21 The good reverend was under no illusions about the perils
30:25 and obstacles facing the abolitionist cause.
30:28 His words offered no easy answers,
30:31 no comforting assurances that he
30:33 or his congregation would live to see the progress they
30:37 so desperately sought.
30:41 Rather, his was a declaration of faith,
30:45 a defiant call not to abandon hope or give way to fear,
30:50 but to stay true to our better selves and true to one another.
30:56 And to keep fighting to fulfill the promise of this nation,
31:01 even in the face of cruelty and bitter disappointment,
31:05 even in the face of impossible odds.
31:11 It is that spirit that we open this center today.
31:20 The same spirit that so many of you showed all those years ago.
31:25 The same spirit that inspired generations of Americans to meet the challenges of their
31:29 time.
31:32 The same spirit that is alive
31:33 and well here on the south side of Chicago. same spirit
31:38 that will see America
31:40 and the world through its present trials.
31:44 There is a new generation out there ready to write the next chapter of
31:48 our story.
31:50 We intend to help them do it and we ask that you join us.
31:57 Thank you.
31:58 God bless you.
32:00 God bless the United States of America.
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