Days after Njideka Akunyili-Crosby unveiled a portrait of Barack and Michelle Obama for the Obama Presidential Centre, another Nigerian, Grammy-winning singer Tems, has been announced as a performer at the centre’s opening ceremony.
The centre is a community and cultural hub established by Mr Obama and his wife and situated on Chicago’s South Side. The centre is intended to celebrate leadership, public service and community engagement while preserving the former president’s legacy.
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Beyond housing exhibits about Mr Obama’s life and presidency, the centre features educational spaces, world-class museums, a public library branch, recreational facilities and public gardens. It is also designed as a place where young people can learn, connect and develop skills to make a positive impact in their communities.
The centre will be officially opened to the general public on 19 June.
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Tems will perform alongside Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Eddie Vedder, and Jennifer Hudson, among others, on Thursday.
Lined up performers
Mr Obama announced the lineup in a post on his Instagram page on Wednesday.
The post featured a playful chat thread that confirmed the participation of performers including Bono and The Edge, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Common, The Roots, Guitars Over Guns, the Illinois National Guard, Marc Anthony, and Uniting Voices Chicago.
American actress and producer Marsai Martin will also take part. In contrast, businesswoman and former Senior Advisor to Mr Obama, Valerie Jarrett, and American businessman Marty Nesbitt will deliver remarks at the event.
Mr Obama described the guests lined up for the opening ceremony as some of today’s most prominent voices and global icons.
Appreciation
The 64-year-old thanked everyone who helped bring the Obama Presidential Centre to life, noting that he and his wife, Michelle, remain grateful for the dedication and hard work invested over the years.
“I got a little teary-eyed tonight thinking about my mother-in-law, Marian Robinson. She made a home for Michelle and Craig here on the South Side of Chicago, not with a lot, but with a lot of love and hope and perspective and wisdom, and her husband, Fraser Robinson, who got up every day and went down right next to Navy Pier, working in the water reclamation district.
“He showed what it means to work hard and to put family first. I love my mother-in-law, and she made a home for Michelle and Craig, not with a lot, but with a lot of love, hope, and perspective. They represent to me what’s best about this country,” he said.
Genesis
Meanwhile, Mrs Obama said the presidential centre means a great deal to her and her husband, particularly as it opens on the South Side of Chicago.
She explained that she grew up there, Mr Obama got his start there, and they raised their daughters there.
Mrs Obama noted, “So having a place where kids from our community can see themselves, connect, and channel their hope—there’s nothing more powerful than that. Opening the presidential centre right here on the south side of Chicago, it’s truly a full circle moment.
“I mean, so much of my existence as a child into high school was driving past this very location where there was really nothing. It was a highway. It was a dangerous place. It was an unutilized park space. You know, I always wondered what was going on there. Right. But now to be a part of, you know, this amazing centre that Barack, that you built, I mean, this is your vision and you and the team have executed it superbly. This is beyond a gift.”
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Proud moment
She added that her mother would be proud of her husband for being the kind of man who dreams big and pulls it off.
She thanked Mr Obama for opening the centre on the South Side of Chicago.
“I’ve said this many times before, the notion that kids like me will have a magnificent space full of history and hope and art and leadership and activity right in their backyard. There’s nothing more full circle than that. So thank you.
“He’s really messed up. I’m giving him some time because this beautiful skirt that my stylist, Meredith Koop, picked out is a portrait, my favourite portrait of my mom. He didn’t know it existed until just a few minutes ago.”
