Nigerian singer Tems will join other global music icons, including John Legend and Stevie Wonder, at the official opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Thursday, June 18.
This comes days after another Nigerian, Njideka Akunyili-Crosby, unveiled a portrait of Barack and Michelle Obama.
The Obama Foundation announced the performer lineup for the opening ceremony on social media, placing the Nigerian singer alongside Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Common, The Roots, Eddie Vedder, Marc Anthony, and U2’s The Edge.
The landmark facility, established by former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama and set to open to the public on June 19, will serve as a museum, library, educational center, and community hub. It also houses conference spaces and the headquarters of the Obama Foundation.
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Reflecting on the significance of the project, Michelle Obama described the opening of the center on Chicago’s South Side as a deeply personal milestone for her family, saying it transforms a previously underutilized space into a hub for history, leadership, education, and community engagement.
“The opening of the Presidential Center right here on the South Side of Chicago is truly a full-circle moment,” she said.
“So much of my existence as a child into high school was driving past this very location where there was really nothing. It was a highway. It was a dangerous place. It was an unutilized park space.
“And I always wondered what was going on there. But to now be a part of this amazing center. This is beyond a gift.