Hawaiian leader introduces former President Obama during center’s opening

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii was represented in Chicago Thursday at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center.

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There was a star-studded lineup for the event, including Christina Aguilera, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder and John Legend — just to name a few.

Also in the lineup was a leader in the Native Hawaiian community,

“And now, from the shores of his youth, to the city that rose with him, Chicago! Please help me welcome President Barack Obama!” Dr. Kaiwipunikauikawēkiu Punihei Lipe said, as she was bestowed the honor of introducing the former president.

“Where I come from, to introduce someone means we have pilina, a connection. If this man walked into my home, my children would call him uncle because we are both keiki o ka ʻāina, children of Hawaii,” she said in her remarks.

Dr. Lipe was a member of the Obama Foundation’s inaugural cohort of the Asia-Pacific Leaders Program in 2019. She is also the current poʻo kula at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama.

Her brief remarks likened Obama’s legacy and impact to the ‘a‘ali‘i plant, known for versatility and tenacity, with strength deeply rooted, and resilience in the wind.

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“Our people say, ‘He ‘aʻaliʻi kū makani mai au; ʻaʻohe makani nana e kulaʻi.’ I am a wind-withstanding ‘a‘ali‘i. No gale can topple me over,” she said.

With the center’s opening, President Obama’s Honolulu alma mater, Punahou School, also expressed pride in being part of his legacy.

“I think he reminds our students that where they come from really matters. That oftentimes, you know, your commitment to your service to others and to a cause that’s larger than yourself is what really makes life worthwhile,” Punahou School President Mike Latham, PH.D., said.

In his speech, former President Obama said, “More than 40 years ago, on a late-summer afternoon in 1985, I arrived here in Chicago, entering the city through the very spot where this center now stands.”

Obama’s Presidential Center campus stretches over 19 acres in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park, with public spaces for visitors to enjoy. It will be open daily, and is one of 16 presidential libraries in existence.

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