Obama Center ceremony begins with 'stolen land acknowledgement' as sheepish woke crowd applaud

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 01:15, 19 June 2026 | Updated: 01:15, 19 June 2026 The opening to Barack Obama's massive, pricey presidential center included a land acknowledgement.  Prominent Democrats and liberals gathered to celebrate the first day for the gargantuan $850 million building on the South Side of Chicago Thursday.  The woke, celebrity-laden crowd pensively applauded as Valerie Jarrett - the CEO of the Obama Foundation who built the center - led them in a land acknowledgement.  'We'd also like to take a moment to recognize the original inhabitants of the land upon which we are gathered today,' she said. Jarrett then listed names of Native American tribes that had resided in the region in previous centuries.   'We honor the Anishinaabe, the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi Nations,' she said, to more applause.  The move, perceived as one of the excesses of 'wokeness,' stood in contrast to Obama himself, who has advised Democrats publicly to be 'more normal.' Last month, Obama made similar remarks in an interview previewing the center with canceled late night host Stephen Colbert. The opening to Barack Obama's massive, pricey presidential center included a land acknowledgement led by CEO of The Obama Foundation Valerie Jarrett (pictured) A massive gathering of prominent Democrats and liberals celebrated the first day for the gargantuan $850million building on the South Side of Chicago Thursday. He said that often the left fails to 'talk like normal people talk,' though he credited socialist Zohran Mamdani for being able to do exactly that. 'What I'm more interested in Democrats is, do you know how to talk to regular people like we are not at a college seminar? Can you talk plain English to folks, no gobbledygook. Talk like normal people talk,' he said. The 43rd president's library hosted its opening ceremony on Thursday morning at the massive Jackson Park building in the city's South Side , where Michelle Obama grew up, and where the couple settled before he entered the White House in 2009.  The campus, which officially opens its doors to the public on Friday, was flooded with prominent political figures and celebrities as a boatload of festivities kicked off to celebrate the big day.  The Obamas, Bidens, Bushes and Clintons all cozied up together for a group picture ahead of the dedication ceremony.  One picture showed Michelle hugging former President George Bush while former President Bill Clinton laughed behind them.  Joe and Jill Biden, the former president and first lady, were seen in a cheeky snap blowing a kiss at the camera together.  Michelle and Barack Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha, also came out to support their parents, waving and smiling widely at the crowd.  The woke , celebrity-laden crowd pensively applauded as Valerie Jarrett - the CEO of the Obama Foundation who built the center - led them in a land acknowledgement Tom Hanks talks with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the grand opening for the Obama Presidential Center A-listers swarmed the event, including John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen, Colbert, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, Tyler Perry, Steven Spielberg and former fashion model Jill Vedder, among others. California Governor Gavin Newsom, US Rep Nancy Pelosi, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, former Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and former Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff and more political bigwigs were also in attendance.   Many guests donned sunglasses as they shook hands and hugged each other ahead of the start of the ceremony, which started with Jennifer Hudson singing the national anthem.  President Donald Trump was not invited to the event, as the focus was on welcoming Obama supporters, Jarrett said, according to NBC News.  Trump is a staunch critic of the Obamas, as he often slams the former president for how he handled things in the White House.  He is still welcome to visit the center in the future, Jarrett added.   In addition to Hudson, several other singers are expected to take the stage at the star-studded ceremony, including her boyfriend Common, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Tems, Stevie Wonder and others.  Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder performed an original song called 'Better Believe' that was specifically written for the big event. A structural arch frames the outdoor seating area during the opening ceremony Former US president Barack Obama speaks during opening day The Obama Center project plans were made public in May 2017, and originally projected to be completed by 2021.  But the COVID-19 pandemic sparked delays, along with the expansion of the center's original plans.  The campus itself sits on 19 acres of land and includes a public park, museum, library, ample green space, and an NBA regulation-size basketball court.   Approximately $850 million went into building the center, making it the most expensive presidential library in US history.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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