A dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center is underway in Chicago, drawing thousands of invited guests, including former presidents and heads of state. The event, held in a lakefront park, celebrates the opening of a sprawling campus featuring granite, nature, and art, designed as a hub for civic life and culture honoring the 44th president of the United States, according to Reuters.
Key Attendees
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama were joined by the three other living former presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden—along with their spouses, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Jill Biden. The Obamas' daughters, Malia and Sasha, sat with their parents on the main stage.
VIP Roster
Other notable attendees included former Vice President Kamala Harris and her spouse, Douglas Emhoff, former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and foreign dignitaries such as former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Ceremonial Opening
The event, held under partly cloudy skies, marks the ceremonial opening of the Obama Center, an $850 million development that local historians say represents the greatest single investment in a century in Chicago's long-neglected South Side.
