Key Takeaways
- Barack and Michelle Obama marked the opening of the Obama Presidential Center with a joint interview reflecting on their Chicago roots and nearly 34-year marriage.
- The couple revisited early dating memories, raising Malia and Sasha in the White House and the balance that sustains their partnership.
- Both emphasized that the center represents community investment and a legacy shaped by the South Side neighborhood that embraced them.
As the Obama Presidential Center opens on Chicago's South Side, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are reflecting on nearly 34 years of marriage, their roots in the city and the legacy behind a new campus surrounded by landmarks that helped shape their family's story.
In a joint interview with PEOPLE, the couple opened up about the community that brought them together and inspired the center's mission. "This [center] is my husband's vision from top to bottom," Michelle said. "He made sure this is about the community, a place that our neighborhood could use and feel welcome."
Barack echoed that sentiment while emphasizing that the project represents more than his own accomplishments. "I do want to make sure that people see all of the people whose shoulders we stand on," he added. "This is a group project. I think Michelle is surprised and proud that we pulled this off… I could tell that it meant a lot to her.”
For the Obamas, the campus' location carries special meaning. Standing near the neighborhood where they met, married and raised their young family, the 44th president recalled arriving in Chicago as a young community organizer with little more than a car full of belongings. "You have the house where Michelle grew up, our wedding reception was less than a mile from here, you can see the hospital where our daughters were born, our first home is a 10-minute walk," he told the outlet. "So much of what is precious to me is because of this community, the people who embraced some funny kid from Hawaii. They gave me a home."
Michelle said the center's impact on future generations makes the project especially emotional. "Every piece of me was built in this area," she emphasized. "There was nothing like this center anywhere when I was growing up. I get emotional realizing what this will mean for kids."
The interview also revisited the couple's early dating days on the South Side. "When we started dating, he was renting a crappy little apartment on 53rd Street from a friend," the mother of two recalled. "No AC. Windows were open. Saturday nights would be crazy. Baskin-Robbins was a place we'd go to get ice cream. He wrote about our first kiss being [there]." Barack added, "Sitting on the curb. There's a plaque there now. I don't know who put that up."
Barack and Michelle Obama on what makes their partnership work
The duo also spoke candidly about the foundation of their marriage. Reflecting on their relationship, the 64-year-old said, "I knew almost immediately, and looks like I made a pretty good bet, that this was a one-of-a-kind woman with the integrity and character, smarts and values to make me better. Just being with her made me better, and she still does."
Michelle described their bond as one built on balance and support. "We are each other's counterbalance," she said. "He gave me the courage. He was my ballast. He was like, 'I got you.' And however hard it's been, the ups and downs, he's got me." Barack replied, "And she grounds and anchors me. It's worked out a'ight."
White House memories and the lasting symbolism of Barack Obama’s presidency
While Barack told PEOPLE that he doesn't miss much about the restrictions that came with living in the White House, both shared fond memories of the years they spent there with daughters Malia and Sasha. "We had a fun White House. And it was our home," Michelle said. "Fourth of July is Malia's birthday. That whole celebration in the backyard, which we usually devoted to military families, was also her birthday party with fireworks and a yard full of people. Prom happened there, graduation parties, all the last memories of my mom [Marian Robinson], who's no longer here."
The “A Promised Land” author also reflected on the broader meaning of his historic election. "I hoped if I did get elected, that that would change how kids thought about themselves," he said. "I think that we did accomplish that." He added that a single presidency could never erase centuries of history but said many young people grew up believing a Black president was no longer unimaginable.
The 62-year-old said her husband's impact extended beyond breaking racial barriers. "The symbolism of his presidency wasn't just about race — it was also about the way you show up as a leader, a man, a father and a husband," she said. "I think that what Barack offered this country was a mature president, a highly intelligent president, a selfless president, and I think that those characteristics are as important as race."
Nearly a decade after leaving the White House, the Obamas are now focused on the next chapter of that legacy — one rooted in the same South Side community where their story first began.