News

Obama’s two terms in office left an indelible mark on the country, and that legacy is now immortalized in a world-class campus. As part of the project management consortium, McKissack & McKissack helped take the Center from conception to construction, and from pre-design through design. We couldn’t be prouder to see it reach this next milestone.

“I feel honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of playing such a significant role in the Center’s journey,” said Founder & CEO Deryl McKissack. “Presidents shape who we are as a nation, and it’s exciting to see Obama’s time in office memorialized with a place that reflects the values of integrity, inclusion and community engagement.”

‍

A few weeks ago, Board Member Eric McKissack attended a private unveiling of the vibrant 19.3 acre campus in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park. There’s a museum recognizing those who shaped our democracy, natural spaces like the Women’s Garden and Wetland Walk, an athletic and events space, and of course, a library. Being part of this iconic project means so much to us, especially on Juneteenth. Deryl’s great-great-grandfather, Moses McKissack, was born into slavery. His enslaver taught him to make bricks. It was a skill Moses carried with him into freedom.

He could not have known that the trade he learned in bondage would become the foundation of a family legacy spanning five generations. And he could not have known that his great-great-granddaughter would start a firm with $1,000 and build it into a successful company managing over $15 billion in AEC projects across the United States and its territories.

He could not have known that the spaces within McKissack & McKissack’s portfolio would tell the great American stories and have a place in the history books with projects like the Obama Presidential Center, as well as the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, the MLK Memorial, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Center & Library, and more.

On Juneteenth and beyond, we dedicate ourselves to building legacy spaces that inspire, empower, and connect communities now and for years to come.

‍

‍

‍