She told him she was going to sing his praises — and she absolutely delivered. Michelle Obama brought the house down at the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Thursday, reducing her husband to tears with a speech so full of warmth, wit and unflinching pride that even the former presidents in the room couldn't keep a straight face.
The £660 million ($850 million) campus in Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side — five years in the making — officially opens to the public on Juneteenth, but Thursday's ceremony was the main event: a star-studded celebration attended by Joe and Jill Biden, George W. and Laura Bush, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, among hundreds of others.
'Barack, You Gotta Look at Me'
After thanking the many people involved in bringing the centre to life, Michelle turned directly to the man of the hour. She called out to her husband across the crowd — "Barack, you gotta look at me" — and the cameras cut to a grinning Barack Obama, shaking his head in that familiar, slightly embarrassed way, while Hillary Clinton laughed behind him.
What followed was a tribute of extraordinary tenderness. Michelle recalled the promise Barack made her at the very beginning: that he couldn't promise her the world, but he could promise her an interesting life. "Of course," she said, "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."
The crowd rose in a standing ovation. Many were visibly in tears. Michelle waved them down — "I'm not done, y'all" — and pressed on, listing the achievements of his presidency with increasing pace: rescuing the economy, expanding healthcare, ordering the Bin Laden raid, winning a Nobel Peace Prize. That last one — delivered with deliberate comic emphasis — drew loud laughter from Barack and Hillary Clinton, who exchanged a knowing look from across the aisle.
She also addressed the uglier chapters of his time in office with quiet fury, referencing the birther lies, the questioning of his faith and patriotism, the relentless claims that a constitutional law professor wasn't qualified for the job. "How absurd it is," she said, "to even imagine that you might have buckled under the pressure, even once."
A Stellar Line-Up for a Historic Day
The ceremony was as much concert as it was dedication. Jennifer Hudson opened with a soaring National Anthem before Christina Aguilera performed Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam took the stage alongside young musicians from the nonprofit Guitars Over Guns — ranging in age from 12 to 20 — to premiere an original song written specifically for the occasion.
John Legend paid tribute to Chicago's own Donny Hathaway before welcoming rapper Common to the stage for a performance of their Oscar-winning anthem "Glory," backed by the United Voices of Chicago choir. U2's Bono and The Edge closed their set with an improvised riff on "City of Blinding Lights," ad-libbing lyrics that referenced the presidents in the room. Nigerian singer Tems and Marc Anthony — whose rendition of "Vivir Mi Vida" had the crowd on their feet — rounded out a remarkable bill.
Stevie Wonder closed the evening with "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," the song that became the unofficial anthem of Obama's presidential campaigns. Barack and Michelle were spotted dancing together as Wonder performed. It was, by most accounts, exactly the right note to end on. For more coverage of the Obamas, visit our celebrity section.
Obama's Own Words — and a Pointed Message
Barack Obama, in his own remarks, acknowledged there was "unfinished business" when he left office and delivered thinly veiled criticism of Donald Trump — without naming him — when speaking about the importance of a peaceful transfer of power. He praised the late Senator John McCain and former Senator Mitt Romney, both vocal Trump critics.
Michelle, too, was careful but pointed when it came to the current political climate, imploring Americans to stay engaged and pushing back on immigration rhetoric without naming names. "No one," she said, "has the right to sit in judgment of who's American enough."
"I want you to remember, all of you, never let fear put your dreams to sleep," Stevie Wonder told the crowd before calling the evening's performers back to the stage.
The centre itself is a remarkable achievement: an $850 million campus that includes a museum, a new branch of the Chicago Public Library, an athletic centre, a civic centre, a playground, and a vegetable garden that nods to the one Michelle famously planted on the South Lawn of the White House. For a man who began his political career as a community organiser on Chicago's South Side, it is a homecoming of the most extraordinary kind. You can explore more stories like this in our entertainment section.
