Barack Obama: “I think a lot of Americans out there, they're watching... they would say to themselves, this doesn't connect with me and…”

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.

While we are non-partisan, we are not value-neutral. We have a point of view.

I hope this center will serve as an affirmation of just how special, how precious our democracy truly is.

I thought this was the South Side of Chicago.