00:13hey everybody what's going on this is a nice project you guys that we're involved in way
00:24to go team thank you thank you for everything you all have done to create what is a magical place
00:35um i have been on the site during construction um but because of my schedule the first time
00:44i toured the finished museum was friday um and to say that it left me emotional and speechless
00:56um even though i knew what the plans were and knew what the what the background was
01:05um to walk into that space um and to see the amount of professionalism um and artistry
01:13and love and care uh that has gone into creating what i hope will be a center that really changes
01:24the trajectory of the people especially the young people who grew up in this community that i call
01:31home the south side of chicago is my home every inch of this neighborhood
01:40um and to be able to look out across and see the south side of chicago to see the beauty
01:49of our parks
01:51to finally be able to see that there's a lagoon over there
01:56that is safe to walk in um where children are playing and couples are holding hands that chicago
02:06wasn't available to me my entire life it was not available it was closed down it was boarded off
02:13it was uncared for um it wasn't invested in and the message to me and to kids like me
02:21is that we weren't worth investing in so that in order for us to have access to beautiful parks and
02:28art and museum we had to get on a bus or a train or hope that our parents could afford
02:35to pay for
02:36parking downtown to go into spaces that sometimes treated us like we didn't belong
02:42um and now we have this and we have that too but i think the opc will be the beginning
02:51of telling the
02:53kids in this community that they are just as important just as capable just as valuable um and what
03:09so i hope that when you um think about this project and all that you all contribute it to making
03:18it happen
03:19that you know that this this beautiful campus is going to change lives um and i hope you feel
03:27really really good about it um and i am so proud of my husband um
03:36he's really messed up i'm giving him some time because this beautiful skirt that
03:45my stylist meredith coop picked out that is a portrait my favorite portrait of my mom
03:54he didn't know it existed until just a few minutes ago and i had i've had a few weeks to
04:03settle down
04:04and the beauty of this skirt but it's messing him up for good reason um but marion would have been
04:14so
04:14proud she was so proud of her son-in-law um and the man that he is and has been
04:21to our family um
04:23always dreaming probably way too big um but always pulling it off um thank you for for doing this for
04:34the south side of chicago i love you hello chicago
04:46it's all right
04:54so
04:57i'm stealing a few lines from what i'm going to say at the actual opening
05:01so you don't have to come so you don't
05:04or at least you can mute it until michelle talks
05:09so i actually came to chicago
05:14right there
05:17i've been hired to organize on the south side by some churches i was coming from new york
05:24bought a janky old car stuffed it with all my stuff
05:28drove through pennsylvania ohio took the 90 all the way got to
05:36the skyway and came down the skyway onto stoney and then was directed
05:45uh through this park where there was a four-lane highway cornell drive
05:52right there i was 25 years old and uh
06:00and i knew i wanted to do something meaningful with my life and i knew i wanted to be involved
06:05in
06:05community and i wanted to help uplift you know folks who had been forgotten
06:14um and i didn't quite know how i was going to do that but
06:19this community embraced me and gave me a chance and i grew up here and i met the love of
06:28my life here
06:28and my daughters were born here and i represented this district and i
06:35announced my first candidacy at the ramada inn on lake shore drive
06:40and my office was on 71st and i taught law at the university of chicago right down
06:47the midway and our first home was over in eastview park you can walk from here
06:57and most of what has been most important in my life is because of this place
07:05and the people here because the people here taught me
07:14resilience and courage and hope and so when i
07:21went to washington and then when we started campaigning around the country
07:26i was carrying a piece of this community with me
07:29the entire time all through the white house my entire eight years so
07:37for us to be able to situate all those lessons learned all the values that
07:47we tried to project and embody during the eight years we were in office together
07:53for us to be able to
07:57give that to this community
08:01is really important to us
08:05and that couldn't have happened without the dedication and professionalism
08:09and effort and headaches and problem solving
08:17and talent and artistry and skill of the people here today so
08:26um it is with
08:30deep gratitude uh that uh
08:34that i stand here today you know just appreciate everything that all of you have
08:39done to help make this possible um
08:45i am a little shaken up by this because
08:48i love my mother-in-law
08:55and she made a home for
09:00michelle and craig
09:03uh not with a lot but with a lot of love
09:07and hope and perspective and wisdom
09:12and her husband
09:14fraser robinson who got up every day and went down to
09:18what right next to navy pier working as a
09:22you know in the water
09:26uh reclamation district
09:30you know he showed what it means to to work hard
09:35and to put family first
09:38and so
09:39so
09:41they
09:44represent
09:46to me
09:48what's best about this country
09:50and what's best about our values
09:55and
09:58the people who aren't
10:03trying to get every last nickel
10:06and aren't cutting corners when it comes to values
10:10and treat people
10:12high and low with with respect
10:15and kindness
10:17and handle their business
10:22just salt of the earth bedrock people
10:26and
10:27and there are people
10:28like that all across
10:30the south side of chicago
10:33and there are people like that all across
10:35this
10:36great country of ours
10:38and their voices are not heard
10:42because we got a
10:47we've got a
10:49a set of institutions
10:51that have fallen
10:55victim to the siren song of
10:59everything's about money and everything's about attention
11:02and everything's about fame
11:04and everything's about getting over
11:08um
11:09but meanwhile there are just a lot of people out here
11:12who are just
11:13doing the right thing
11:14and raising their families
11:16and taking care of people
11:19and
11:21and so it's fitting that
11:23she's with us
11:27here today
11:29because
11:30part of what we want this center to be
11:33is a reminder
11:36of those people
11:39and
11:40and
11:40and
11:40and to make sure this country is true
11:43to their spirit
11:48because
11:49if we do that
11:50then i think we're going to be okay
11:53and
11:54and i want
11:54our kids
11:56to
11:57to
11:59to
11:59to be reminded of that
12:02and our grandkids
12:03and
12:0450 years from now i want
12:06people to remember that's what we should be about
12:10so
12:13thank you
12:15appreciate you
12:16enjoy the celebration
12:19bring your family bring your friends
12:23mark with pride what you've accomplished
12:25thank you everybody
12:26god bless you
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