- In the winter of 2013,
Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed
in a tragic shooting on the south side of Chicago,
just eight days after performing
as part of a majorette squad
during my husband's second presidential inauguration.
I never had the opportunity to meet Hadiya
while she was alive,
but in the aftermath of her death at her funeral,
I met her family, I met her classmates,
and I immediately understood the extraordinary power
and potential that lay inside of this young woman,
a potential that was stolen from us
by the tragedy of gun violence.
- Hadiya's name means a gift from God.
She had a way with people caring for
and listening to individuals,
and also having a way of making people feel supported.
Her gift was really behind the baton
in her unique way of twirling it.
She was absolutely excited at the opportunity
to perform at the inauguration.
The girls were going crazy.
She came back saying she might want to go into journalism,
or she might be interested in politics.
We didn't have that much time with her, unfortunately,
after attending the inauguration.
So I don't know which way she was actually gone.
- And from every family who never imagined
that their loved one would be taken
from our lives by a bullet from a gun,
every time I think about those kids, that gets me mad.
And by the way,
it happens on the streets of Chicago every day.
- As I visited with the Pendleton family
at Hadiya's funeral,
I couldn't get over how familiar they felt to me
because what I realized
was Hadiya's family was just like my family.
Hadiya Pendleton was me,
and I was her.
To this day, I carry Hadiya's story with me everywhere I go.
And as Barack and I
have been planning the Obama Presidential Center,
we knew that we wanted Hadiya's story to be present
in the campus itself.
And that's why I am so proud to announce
the naming of the Hadiya Pendleton Winter Garden
at the Obama Presidential Center.
The Hadiya Pendleton Winter Garden
will be a dazzling public space full of freshness and light.
It will offer a warm welcome to all of the forum's visitors.
It will be a place to gather,
a place to connect,
and hopefully to see the potential
that lies in each and every person
we cross paths with in that space.
- When I learned that the winter garden
would be named in honor of Hadiya,
my heart just melted.
I was at a loss for words,
because I knew people would be saying her name.
There's gonna be so much life in this space
that will house so many young people
and individuals over time.
So I believe that her legacy will continue to live on,
her story will continue to be told.
That makes me, her dad and her brother so honored.
Hadiya's promise is a commitment to help individuals
where they are.
So if you're without clothes and we have clothes give,
we'd love to give them to you.
If you are unfed, we love to feed you.
There are people who have loved ones that have been murdered
and who are not getting follow up
the way they believe they should.
The whole point was to reach out to a population of people
that need that support.
- I know that Hadiya's loss is still raw and devastating
for so many of us, especially on the south side,
but hopefully, this garden can help share her light
with even more people for generations to come.
- I think it's so important that people understand
that Hadiya matters because we all matter.
And it's gonna be beautiful to see
how that shows up in the winter garden.
(gentle music)