Forecasted rain held off just long enough on Saturday for visitors to enjoy a few hours of sunshine at “The People’s Fourth” hosted by the Obama Presidential Center. Attendees from all over the country congregated on the grounds for the holiday celebration, which featured live music, food, face painting, activities in Home Court and more.
The good feelings were tempered with somber reflections on the country’s 250th anniversary. “Bittersweet” was a term regularly used as people shared thoughts on the country’s progress and missteps. But that nuanced thinking is precisely what the leadership of the Obama Presidential Center wants to foster.
“It’s such a good time to reflect on the goodness of the American people, the spirit of the American people, and our ability to learn and improve and work hard together,” said Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. “We want people to come to our campus to celebrate that, and to recognize we’re not done yet. We still have work to do.”
Continue reading to hear meditations on America’s 250th birthday from everyday people from Chicago and beyond.
Nick and Rose Villa
Rose Villa, 57, of Hartland, Wis., said she noticed a contrast between the country’s semiquincentennial and its bicentennial 50 years ago.
“The feeling was just a little different,” she said. “It just seemed like people thought about peace back in ‘76. I remember the stamps on letters used to say, ‘Pray for peace,’ and now things just don’t seem peaceful, overall, but I think [the Obama Presidential Center] feels peaceful.”
Villa’s 17-year-old son, Nick, said being at the center was “uplifting” during a “trying time” in the country.
“I am Latino, so the current administration has been of concern to me,” he said. ‘But it’s beautiful to see that people are in the Obama Presidential Center having a good time and still enjoying themselves, even though we are where we are today.”
Alyce Ray and Tii Dunn
Visiting from Phoenix, Alyce Ray, 58, and Tii Dunn, 45, said they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to walk the grounds of the Obama Presidential Center on the Fourth of July.
“It’s a little bittersweet for me as I see all the freedoms and liberties being stripped away,” Ray said, as she reflected on the country’s 250th anniversary. “I thank God for the freedoms that we do have, but it’s still disheartening to see what’s happening and unfolding in front of our eyes. But [the Obama Presidential Center] is hope. I saw the opening on TV and it just gave back some hope to the dim times that we’re living in.”
Dunn said she relies on her faith to help her stay hopeful.
“You have to know that things are going to get better,” she said. “Sometimes they get worse before they get better, but God is good. I don’t worry about who’s in the White House.”
Janet Stallard and Susan Hopkins
Susan Hopkins, 62, said her frustration with Trump’s presidency motivated her to travel from Frankfort to spend the Fourth of July at the Obama Presidential Center.
“Every time I turn on the television, I’ve just been so disheartened and angry about what the current administration is doing,” said Hopkins, who made a Facebook post recruiting others to come along. “I thought, what better place to go on the Fourth of July to talk about democracy, and how we want our country to run. This just felt like the right place to be on this day.”
Both Hopkins and her longtime friend, Janet Stallard, said they felt better after spending time inside the museum.
“It was like a breath of fresh air,” said Stallard, 60, also from Frankfort. “The world has been so heavy, and it just seems like we’re just downtrodden. Being there today and hearing [Obama’s] voice, hearing Michelle’s voice, hearing the spirituals and the songs, and just seeing all the positivity, it was just amazing. It’s probably the best Fourth of July I’ve ever had, and I haven’t even got to the fireworks yet.”
Jennifer Steele, Leila Castillo and Jimmy Castillo
Reflecting on the country’s anniversary, 13-year-old Leila Castillo said it seems like 250 years have flown by.
“We’ve grown so much,” said Castillo. “We’ve all come together as a very diverse place that is literally made up of everyone from everywhere in the world.”
The Houston resident was in town visiting her father, Jimmy Castillo, 50, of Washington Park, who said being at the Obama Presidential Center gives him a positive feeling.
“This place embodies the aspirations of who we can be,” he said. “We want the country to be a place where all people can have dignity and access.”
The campus grounds have proven to be a welcoming environment, according to his partner, Jennifer Steele, 42.
“We’re used to knowing why the South Side of Chicago is so amazing, but then when you see everyone from all different countries doing the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ in the plaza, it’s just this really beautiful moment,” she said.
Ivy Czekanski and Chris Kulfan
Chris Kulfan, who is critical of the Trump administration, said visiting the Obama Presidential Center reminded him of cycles of progression and regression in history.
“We had the Civil War, and then we had Reconstruction, but then we had Jim Crow [laws],” said Kulfan, 48, of Edgewater. “It’s one step forward, and it will always be a few steps backward.”
His partner, Ivy Czekanski, said she viewed her visit to the center as an extension of her Juneteenth celebration.
“It’s my favorite holiday because of the survival and resilience that it represents,” said Czekanski, 45, also of Edgewater. “I’m not really thinking about the 250th anniversary.”
Tonia Branche and Deze Scott
Tonia Branche, 38, of Streeterville, said she was excited to honor the legacy of the country’s first Black president.
“It’s amazing to be able to celebrate that on the 250th anniversary of our country,” she said. “But we’re seeing a lot of things dismantled that a lot of people built up. I think it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, but also a little bit of a wake-up call of how far we still have to go.”
Branche was joined by her goddaughter, Deze Scott, 19, of Dallas, who studies at Brown University.
“I’m just grateful, honestly, that we have made it this far,” Scott said. “It’s bittersweet, but the fact that we’re celebrating Obama and his presidency here is a huge blessing, and I feel like things will get better over time.”