As Juneteenth is celebrated across the US, Obama’s presidential center opens in Chicago

A person, who declined to give his name, stands for a photo during a Juneteenth celebration in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) 2026-06-19T07:10:01Z DALLAS (AP) — As people gathered across the U.S. to celebrate Juneteenth on Friday, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama welcomed the first visitors to his presidential center. Located on a sprawling campus on Chicago’s South Side, the center honoring the nation’s first Black president has been designed to inspire people to make the change they want to see in their own communities. It’s the kind of contemplation that also comes as Americans gather for Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. Former President Barack Obama gives a high-five during a book reading with children on opening day of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in John Lewis Plaza, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Chicago. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Barack Obama gives a high-five during a book reading with children on opening day of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in John Lewis Plaza, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Chicago. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) --> Add AP News on Google --> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The holiday marks June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas at the end of the Civil War with an order declaring the state’s enslaved people to be free with “absolute equality.” By then, 2 1/2 years had passed since the Emancipation Proclamation declared the freedom of enslaved people in the South. “Juneteenth represents not just a commemoration of the end of slavery but it’s also part of the ongoing struggle for absolute equality and that ideal in American life,” said W. Caleb McDaniel, a Rice University professor and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Sweet Taste of Liberty.” freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Obama’s presidential center in Chicago The grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center includes days of events following Thursday’s star-studded dedication ceremony. In addition to greeting visitors Friday as the center opened to the public for the first time, the couple also read to children gathered there. Tyrone Sturgis, 62, said it had been a beautiful experience to see all of the people from different walks of life explore the new presidential center on Friday. “For this center to open on Juneteenth, on the South Side of Chicago, it’s extraordinary, it’s awesome,” he said. The center’s public opening arrives as a symbolic convergence of legacy and liberation. The nation is deeply divided politically and grappling with renewed questions about the arc of racial progress as the Supreme Court hollowed out the Voting Rights Act, endangering Black political representation in Congress. Former President Barack Obama speaks during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) Former President Barack Obama speaks during the dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry) --> Add AP News on Google --> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Former President Barack Obama, left, and former first lady Michelle Obama read to school children on opening day of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in John Lewis Plaza, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Chicago. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) Former President Barack Obama, left, and former first lady Michelle Obama read to school children on opening day of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in John Lewis Plaza, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Chicago. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP) --> Add AP News on Google --> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The nearly 20-acre (8-hectare) campus includes a museum featuring a life-sized replica of the Oval Office, a garden designed by Michelle Obama complete with lettuce and strawberry plants, a professional-grade basketball court, a picnic area with grills and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library. Visitors can experience high-tech and hands-on exhibits spanning the campaigns, key moments of Obama’s presidency and life at the White House. /* Desktop-first: fully collapse by default */ #ap-readmore-embed { display: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; height: 0; min-height: 0; overflow: hidden; text-align: center; position: relative; z-index: 2; } /* Only show on mobile */ @media (max-width: 767px) { #ap-readmore-embed { display: block; margin: 28px 0; height: auto; overflow: visible; } } #ap-readmore-embed .ap-readmore-btn { appearance: none; -webkit-appearance: none; border: 0; background: #000; color: #fff; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 10px; padding: 14px 22px; border-radius: 999px; font-family: inherit, "AP Sans", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1; box-shadow: 0 10px 18px rgba(0,0,0,0.12); transition: transform 120ms ease, box-shadow 120ms ease, opacity 120ms ease; 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var root = rootCandidates.find(function (c) { return c.contains(stopEl); }) || document.body; var all = root.getElementsByTagName("*"); var hidden = []; for (var i = 0; i The spaces are designed to bring people together on a campus expected to draw as many as 1 million visitors annually, but the center also aims to encourage personal reflection. Louise Bernard, the museum’s director, has said they’re “inviting people to bring change home, however change may be defined, both small or large.” The history of Juneteenth This is the fifth year since Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday by former President Joe Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president. But the celebrations, which began in Texas and then spread across the country, have a rich and long history in Black America, with the day often spent gathering for picnics and cookouts. The holiday — a combination of “June” and “nineteenth” — marks the day when U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in the Texas port city with the declaration of freedom in General Order No. 3. Drummers form a circle around Sika Dwimfo, better known as the, “Godfather of Leimert Park,” during the neighborhood’s Juneteenth celebration, June 19, 2024, at Leimert Park in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) Drummers form a circle around Sika Dwimfo, better known as the, “Godfather of Leimert Park,” during the neighborhood’s Juneteenth celebration, June 19, 2024, at Leimert Park in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) --> Add AP News on Google --> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More As the third year of the Civil War neared, President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring the freedom of “all persons held as slaves” in the still rebellious states of the Confederacy. Though, for many, it did not mean immediate freedom but a promise of liberation, to be secured with a Union victory. Sign up for Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Email address Sign up By checking this box, you agree to AP's Terms of Use and acknowledge that AP may collect and use your data pursuant to our Privacy Policy. 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Please try again.' } }; (function (nlConfigNLMW25) { const nlEmailRegexNLMW25 = /^[^\s@]+@[^\s@]+\.[^\s@]{2,}$/; const nlRecaptchaCheckIntervalNLMW25 = 100; const nlRecaptchaMaxAttemptsNLMW25 = 50; function nlIsValidEmailNLMW25(email) { return nlEmailRegexNLMW25.test(String(email || '').trim()); } function nlBuildReferrerUrlNLMW25(utmParams) { try { const url = new URL(window.location.href); Object.entries(utmParams || {}).forEach(([key, value]) => { if (value !== undefined && value !== null && value !== '') { url.searchParams.set(key, value); } }); return url.toString(); } catch (err) { console.warn('Unable to build referrer URL with UTM params:', err); return window.location.href; } } function nlLoadRecaptchaScriptNLMW25(siteKey, callback) { if (typeof window.grecaptcha !== 'undefined') { callback && callback(); return; } const existingScript = document.querySelector('script[src*="recaptcha/api.js"]'); if (existingScript) { const checkInterval = setInterval(() => { if (typeof window.grecaptcha !== 'undefined') { clearInterval(checkInterval); callback && callback(); } }, nlRecaptchaCheckIntervalNLMW25); return; } const script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = `https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?render=${encodeURIComponent(siteKey)}`; script.async = true; script.defer = true; script.onload = () => callback && callback(); script.onerror = () => { console.error('Failed to load reCAPTCHA script'); callback && callback(false); }; document.head.appendChild(script); } function nlWaitForRecaptchaNLMW25(callback, maxAttempts = nlRecaptchaMaxAttemptsNLMW25) { let attempts = 0; const checkRecaptcha = () => { attempts++; if ( typeof window.grecaptcha !== 'undefined' && typeof window.grecaptcha.execute === 'function' ) { callback(true); } else if (attempts token && token.length > 0 ? token : null) .catch(error => { const errorMsg = error?.message || String(error); if ( errorMsg.includes('No reCAPTCHA clients') || errorMsg.includes('not initialized') || errorMsg.includes('Invalid site key') ) { throw new Error('recaptcha_failed'); } throw error; }); } const nlEmbedsNLMW25 = document.querySelectorAll('[data-ap-newsletter-embed-nlmw25]'); nlEmbedsNLMW25.forEach((rootNLMW25, idxNLMW25) => { const formNLMW25 = rootNLMW25.querySelector('.ap-newsletter-form-nlmw25'); const emailInputNLMW25 = rootNLMW25.querySelector('.ap-newsletter-input-nlmw25'); const checkboxNLMW25 = rootNLMW25.querySelector('.ap-newsletter-checkbox-nlmw25'); const errorElNLMW25 = rootNLMW25.querySelector('.ap-newsletter-error-nlmw25'); const helpElNLMW25 = rootNLMW25.querySelector('.ap-newsletter-help-nlmw25'); const botFieldNLMW25 = rootNLMW25.querySelector('.ap-newsletter-bot-field-nlmw25'); const recaptchaDivNLMW25 = rootNLMW25.querySelector('.ap-newsletter-recaptcha-nlmw25'); let nlIsSubmittingNLMW25 = false; const newsletterListNLMW25 = nlConfigNLMW25.defaultNewsletterList; const recaptchaSiteKeyNLMW25 = nlConfigNLMW25.recaptchaSiteKey; const requestReferrerNLMW25 = nlBuildReferrerUrlNLMW25(nlConfigNLMW25.referrerUtmParams); const emailIdNLMW25 = `nl-email-nlmw25-${idxNLMW25}`; const helpIdNLMW25 = `nl-help-nlmw25-${idxNLMW25}`; const errIdNLMW25 = `nl-error-nlmw25-${idxNLMW25}`; const recaptchaIdNLMW25 = `recaptcha-nlmw25-${idxNLMW25}`; emailInputNLMW25.id = emailIdNLMW25; helpElNLMW25.id = helpIdNLMW25; errorElNLMW25.id = errIdNLMW25; if (recaptchaDivNLMW25) { recaptchaDivNLMW25.id = recaptchaIdNLMW25; if (recaptchaSiteKeyNLMW25) { recaptchaDivNLMW25.setAttribute('data-sitekey', recaptchaSiteKeyNLMW25); } } emailInputNLMW25.setAttribute('aria-describedby', `${helpIdNLMW25} ${errIdNLMW25}`); const nlSetErrorNLMW25 = (msg) => { errorElNLMW25.textContent = msg || ''; errorElNLMW25.style.display = msg ? 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Example: https://.../article/... ?utm_source=embed */ referrer: requestReferrerNLMW25, referrerPolicy: 'strict-origin-when-cross-origin' }) .then(response => response.json() .then(data => ({ status: response.status, data })) .catch(() => ({ status: response.status, data: null })) ) .then(result => { nlIsSubmittingNLMW25 = false; const hasVerificationErrorNLMW25 = result.data && ( result.data.message?.includes('Verification Failed') || result.data.error?.includes('Verification Failed') ); if (hasVerificationErrorNLMW25) { nlSetErrorNLMW25(nlConfigNLMW25.messages.verificationFailed); return; } if (result.status === 200) { if (typeof window.NLSignup === 'function') { try { window.NLSignup(emailNLMW25); } catch (err) {} } window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('nl:newsletterSignup:nlmw25', { detail: { email: emailNLMW25, source: 'Morning Wire Embed', newsletters: newsletterListNLMW25, referrer: requestReferrerNLMW25 } })); nlSetSubmittedNLMW25(); } else { const errorMsgNLMW25 = result.data?.message || result.data?.error || nlConfigNLMW25.messages.genericError; nlSetErrorNLMW25(errorMsgNLMW25); } }) .catch(error => { nlIsSubmittingNLMW25 = false; console.error('Newsletter subscription error:', error); nlSetErrorNLMW25(nlConfigNLMW25.messages.genericError); }); }; const nlAttemptRecaptchaNLMW25 = () => { if (!recaptchaSiteKeyNLMW25) { nlWaitForRecaptchaNLMW25(isAvailable => { if (!isAvailable) { nlSetErrorNLMW25(nlConfigNLMW25.messages.recaptchaRequired); nlIsSubmittingNLMW25 = false; return; } nlExecuteRecaptchaNLMW25() .then(token => nlSubscribeNLMW25(token)) .catch(() => nlSubscribeNLMW25(null)); }); return; } nlLoadRecaptchaScriptNLMW25(recaptchaSiteKeyNLMW25, success => { if (success === false) { nlSetErrorNLMW25(nlConfigNLMW25.messages.recaptchaLoadFail); nlIsSubmittingNLMW25 = false; return; } nlWaitForRecaptchaNLMW25(isAvailable => { if (!isAvailable) { nlSetErrorNLMW25(nlConfigNLMW25.messages.recaptchaRequired); nlIsSubmittingNLMW25 = false; return; } const runExecuteNLMW25 = () => { nlExecuteRecaptchaNLMW25() .then(token => nlSubscribeNLMW25(token)) .catch(error => { if (error?.message === 'recaptcha_failed') { nlSetErrorNLMW25(nlConfigNLMW25.messages.recaptchaFailed); nlIsSubmittingNLMW25 = false; } else { console.warn('reCAPTCHA error:', error); nlSubscribeNLMW25(null); } }); }; if (typeof window.grecaptcha.ready === 'function') { window.grecaptcha.ready(runExecuteNLMW25); } else { runExecuteNLMW25(); } }); }); }; formNLMW25.addEventListener('submit', e => { e.preventDefault(); if (rootNLMW25.classList.contains('is-submitted-nlmw25') || nlIsSubmittingNLMW25) return; nlHideErrorNLMW25(); nlAttemptRecaptchaNLMW25(); }); emailInputNLMW25.addEventListener('input', () => { nlHideErrorNLMW25(); emailInputNLMW25.setAttribute('aria-invalid', 'false'); }); checkboxNLMW25.addEventListener('change', nlHideErrorNLMW25); }); })(NL_DEFAULT_CONFIG_NLMW25); “It really required the force of arms and the success of U.S. armies to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation,” McDaniel said. About six months after Granger’s arrival in Galveston, the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery nationwide was ratified. Celebrations across the nation this year Juneteenth’s birthplace is celebrating with a daylong gathering at a Galveston park with music and fireworks, a parade and a worship service in a historic Black church. In nearby Houston there was a line-up of musical artists and a domino tournament at Emancipation Park, established in 1872 by a group of formerly enslaved men. Hundreds of other cities across the U.S. announced events over the long weekend, including a parade in Atlanta, a bike ride in Los Angeles and a festival on Martha’s Vineyard. People also gathered for community projects to mark the day, including a group of schoolchildren in Vermont. People participate during a Juneteenth parade, June 19, 2025, in Galveston, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) People participate during a Juneteenth parade, June 19, 2025, in Galveston, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) --> Add AP News on Google --> Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Several cities across the U.S. will host walks named for Opal Lee, the Texas woman who pushed for years to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Participants will walk 2 1/2 miles to symbolize the 2 1/2 years it took for the Emancipation Proclamation to be enforced in Texas. Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” turns 100 this year. freestar.queue.push(function () { window.fsAdCount = window.fsAdCount + 1 || 0; let customChannel = '/dynamic_' + fsAdCount; let adList = document.querySelectorAll(".fs-feed-ad") let thisAd = adList[fsAdCount]; let randId = Math.random().toString(36).slice(2); thisAd.id = randId; let thisPlacement = fsAdCount == 0 ? "apnews_story_feed" : "apnews_story_feed_dynamic"; freestar.newAdSlots({ placementName: thisPlacement, slotId: randId }, customChannel); }); Reflecting on a continuing struggle Black Texans embraced the date of Granger’s arrival as one to celebrate, even as the Ku Klux Klan was established in Texas by 1868. By the 1880s, “it was difficult to find a significant community in Texas where it wasn’t being marked by African Americans,” McDaniel said. “They made it a community celebration, they made it a celebration of not only freedom but also a demonstration of community empowerment and institution-building,” he added. Corey D.B. Walker, dean of Wake Forest University’s divinity school, said the holiday offers a way to recognize the nation’s “complex history” and what it means to be a U.S. citizen, especially amid efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to undermine the retelling of Black history. “I think it really reminds people the importance of understanding a fuller, more robust portrait of our nation’s history and the many contributions of many individuals who have contributed to America’s experiment with democracy,” Walker said. ___ Associated Press writer Claire Savage contributed to this report.