Barack Obama: “It has taken acts of courage from generations of fearless and hopeful Americans to make our country more just.”

In forming our union, the founders fell terribly short of the Declaration's promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who owned property.

I thought this was the South Side of Chicago.

They're meant to remind us of who we can be, to remind us of what's possible, so we can forge ahead.

That's what I hope every visitor to this center takes away from their experience.