Malia and Sasha Obama Make a Rare Outing at the Presidential Center Opening — and Their Looks Are Turning Heads — Photos
The occasion behind all the family fashion was no small thing. The Obama Presidential Center represents an $850 million undertaking spread across a 19-acre campus in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, and it breaks from the traditional presidential library format in a major way.
Rather than centering almost entirely on artifacts, though there are plenty on display, including dresses worn by Michelle, campaign buttons, and handwritten speech notes from the former president, the center is built around connecting historical turning points to the everyday people who helped drive them.
Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett told ABC News that the goal is for visitors to walk away believing they have a personal stake in the country’s progress, and added that above all, “they’re going to have fun.”
The center also marks a first for presidential libraries. All records from the Obama presidency have been fully digitized, freeing up the physical space for more interactive elements.
Those include a recording studio, an auditorium, a new branch of the Chicago Public Library, a 60,000 square foot multipurpose space with a basketball court, and an 88-foot digital installation built around speeches, poetry, and music from Barack’s two terms.
The campus sits inside Jackson Park, connecting to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry and the Lake Michigan shoreline nearby.
Outside, there are 3.7 acres of public space, including walking trails, a fruit and vegetable garden, more than an acre of playground space, and 28 commissioned art pieces, 23 of which are free to view without a ticket.
For Valeria, who worked closely with the Obamas as an adviser, the Hyde Park location carries personal weight. She and the Obamas once lived within walking distance of each other early in their marriage, and Michelle Obama grew up just one neighborhood over.
“It was important to give back and give to this community, a community to which they owe a great deal,” Valerie said.
The museum itself unfolds across four floors. The journey starts with the nation’s founding, moves through 20th-century social movements, and highlights civil rights and labor leaders, with a dedicated section on the 1983 election of Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor and fellow Hyde Park resident.
From there, visitors move into Barack’s political rise in Illinois and the U.S. Senate before reaching exhibits on his presidential achievements, including the Paris Accord, the Affordable Care Act, and his work on gun violence and immigration.
The fourth floor takes a more personal turn, featuring memorabilia from sports legends, gifts from foreign heads of state, a full-scale replica of the Oval Office as it looked during his presidency, and video footage of musical performances and civic events from his time in office.
Vakerie acknowledged that many of the same struggles highlighted throughout the museum, like immigration and Middle East peace negotiations, still feel relevant today.
She said she hopes visitors leave understanding that “change is always hard, it is often incremental, and it takes a long time,” adding that the “hope and change” message from Barack’s 2008 campaign was never meant to be simple. “They are intended to be timeless,” she said.
One small but telling detail awaits visitors throughout the museum: Kleenex boxes placed in various spots. Valerie explained the decision came after noticing how emotional the experience tends to be for people, noting that revisiting the Obama years “has been very emotional” for many.
Between the history on display and the family front and center for the occasion, it is safe to say the Obama daughters’ fashion choices were only part of the story, even if they ended up being the part everyone could not stop talking about.
Surprisingly, just days earlier, their mother had stolen all the attention. As previously reported, Barack and Michelle attended the stakeholders’ event at the Barack Obama Presidential Center (before the inauguration). The evening was already meaningful, but Michelle’s outfit turned it into a conversation.
Fans quickly praised the rare, personal fashion moment online. One commenter called the look “One of a kind … Beautiful.” | Source: Instagram/voguemagazine
