President Obama reflects on a day that shaped the nation and advanced marriage equality
Ten years later, we're revisiting the day love won, a nation grieved, and justice arrived—like a thunderbolt.
- Equality
- Community Engagement
- The Obama Administration
On the morning of June 26, 2015, two powerful moments unfolded that would define one of the most poignant days of the Obama presidency.
First, Americans across the country waited anxiously for the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark case that granted same-sex couples the right to marry. The decision marked a historic victory for equality, decades in the making.
Later that day, President Obama traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, to honor the lives lost in the racially motivated massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church. Just days earlier, the victims’ families offered public forgiveness, an act of grace that moved the nation.
By nightfall, a rainbow-lit White House stood as a symbol of love and justice shining through in the face of tragedy.
A decade later, we're looking back on the day when love won, a nation mourned with grace, and progress bent closer toward justice.
When the Obama Presidential Center opens in 2026, visitors will walk through this unforgettable day in history. On display will be artifacts such as the bowtie Jim Obergefell wore at the Supreme Court on June 26, 2015, as well as the original marriage certificate of him and his late husband, John Arthur.
Explore these reflections on June 26, 2015.
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