00:20Out, out, out, out, out, out, out.
00:31I'm Terry L. Lloyd. I'm live here.
00:33It's the opening weekend for the Obama Presidential Center.
00:36Hello, Chicago.
00:40The sound of celebration is in the air.
00:42I'm just not sleeping.
00:45I may won't be too long.
00:50And people from all over the world have ascended upon the south side of Chicago to celebrate this historical moment.
01:09I am thrilled to officially welcome you to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center.
01:16For me, this center could not be anyplace else.
01:22It's an expression of thanks, an acknowledgement that so much of what I hold most dear,
01:29I owe to the people of this city and the people of these surrounding neighborhoods.
01:33And it's why we designed the center not to be some lifeless mausoleum.
01:39I am too young for that.
01:41Not just a place to see Michelle's dresses, although I understand that will be the top attraction.
01:47We wanted it to be a vibrant, living celebration of community where we can learn together
01:55and share the joys of art and music and sport and play.
02:00The motto of the foundation is inspire, empower, connect.
02:05So we want everyone to come here inspired.
02:08We want people to take a look at the museum presentation and feel a sense of hope.
02:12You look at the design of the building that takes the shape of four hands coming together
02:17to signify unity and that it takes all of us to do the work,
02:21to continue to perfect this experiment that is the United States of America.
02:25It's like a spiritual center, like it connects to your soul.
02:29And as a black person, it just makes you want to go out and do more.
02:32It's just great to be a part of Black Exorcist.
02:37Joy in the home.
02:39Tell us why was it important for you all to be here?
02:41It's important for us to be here at the opening because there are so many people here for hope and
02:45change.
02:46And also to let people know that African dance is alive.
02:49It is part of our roots.
02:50It is part of our experience here as black Americans in Chicago.
02:54And it represents the connection to our past and our hope and change.
02:59President Obama represented the hope.
03:02The concrete, tangible things he did for the country is now being cemented
03:08on the very grounds that Michelle and Barack Obama come from.
03:12They did not have amnesia.
03:14They came home and built an edifice that says to people all over the south sides,
03:21all over the world, that it's not where you come from, it's where you're going
03:24if you're determined to do it.
03:27And they give us hope.
03:28You can ride to this center and say, wait a minute.
03:31It was despair when they came, but they fought the despair
03:35and fought and became such agents of change that the world will never forget.
03:41So it means a lot to us as a people.
03:43It means a lot to us as a nation.
03:45It means a lot in this time.
03:47Not every day do you get to be part of history.
03:51And today is a historic moment.
03:53I'm most excited to see this portrait.
03:56You might ask why, because there are so many things that you can see.
04:00The replica of the Oval Office, the Home Court.
04:03It means so many amazing things and details went into this center
04:07that you can spend days and still not see everything.
04:10But what that portrait stands for, when you think a loving couple,
04:17a black couple, being able to be put into the history books with that portrait,
04:24I have to lay eyes on it because that's not an image
04:26that you get to see on a regular basis.
04:29Now at Ebony, we want to showcase those type of images on the regular.
04:34And so for me, being able to stand in front of what should be,
04:39not just here at the center, but an image showcased all throughout the world,
04:43that's what I'm most excited to see.
04:45I cannot think of the First Lady, our forever First Lady,
04:51without thinking about how she presented to the world.
04:54She embodied in her fashion sense grace, beauty, brilliance, intelligence.
05:01It reflected the beauty and brilliance of this presidency,
05:06but also that she was committed to community.
05:09So we want you to come here and put away your phones
05:13and talk and laugh and cry,
05:17because you're going to cry,
05:19and make new friends.
05:20Get your hands dirty in my garden.
05:24Push your baby on a swing in the playground.
05:26Have a romantic picnic on the Great Lawn.
05:30Because that's the work of democracy too.
05:33Being neighborly.
05:34Taking care of public spaces.
05:37Having some fun.
05:39Enjoying each other.
05:40Shaking out of the isolation and division
05:43that have crept too deeply into our lives.
05:47And to my fellow Southsiders,
05:53I want you all to make this campus
05:57a part of your lives.
05:59Be inspired by the world-class art.
06:02Check out the books from our beautiful public library.
06:06And bring them back on time.
06:09Drop some beats in the recording studio.
06:12Hit some corner threes at home court.
06:14Hold birthday parties.
06:16Jumpstart clothing drives.
06:17Host citywide clean-up dates here.
06:21Use this campus to show off this place we call home.
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