00:00Tens of thousands of people in the United States have been given a sneak preview of the Obama Presidential Center
00:06in Chicago.
00:08It opens on the 19th of June, coinciding with Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the
00:15U.S.
00:15The roughly $850 million project covers both the political and personal realms of the nation's first black president.
00:25Features include being able to take a photo of yourself in a life-sized replica of the Oval Office.
00:30Many presidential libraries and institutions have some of these iconic features.
00:36There are some that have the replica of the limousine or Air Force One, but President Obama chose the Oval
00:43Office.
00:44If you remember, the White House was designed to be the people's house,
00:49and President Obama opened the White House to more people in our history than ever before.
00:54The monolithic center, located on the city's south side, within the historic Jackson Park, is part of a 19-acre
01:02campus.
01:03It features other things that are important to Obama, including a new library, a basketball court, and a picnic area
01:09with grills.
01:10So the exterior of the building is designed in the shape of four hands coming together.
01:15And so with that, it's to hopefully have people reflect on the power of the collective we and people coming
01:24together to bring about change.
01:26The center is the first fully digitalized presidential museum where unclassified documents can be viewed through a website they're calling
01:34a digital reading room.
01:36Visitors will also see how the Obamas influence design, style, and culture.
01:43I want people to be curious.
01:46I also want people to know that this is a safe space for them to come and, yes, reflect on
01:53the historic moment of his presidency and the campaigns,
01:58but also to come together as a community to think about what change you can bring to your own neighborhood
02:04and your own community.
02:06The center has not been without controversy, including concerns about its impact on the gentrification of the low-income south
02:13side
02:13and the $30 cost for a ticket into the museum part of the campus.
Comments