Editor's note: NBC Chicago will offer a live feed of evening and primetime speeches each day Monday-Thursday in the player above and on the NBC 5 Chicago News 24/7 streaming channel.
Barack Obama was days shy of his 43rd birthday and months from being elected to the U.S. Senate when he stepped onto a Boston stage at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
A state lawmaker from Illinois, he had an unusual profile to be a headline speaker at a presidential convention. But the self-declared “skinny kid with a funny name” captivated Democrats that night, going beyond a requisite pitch for nominee John Kerry instead to introduce the nation to his “politics of hope” and vision of “one United States of America” not defined or defeated by its differences.
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Kerry lost that November to Republican President George W. Bush. But Obama etched himself into the national consciousness, beginning a remarkable rise that put him in the Oval Office barely four years later. And now, eight years removed from the presidency, Obama returns Tuesday night to the DNC as the elder statesman with a different task.
When will Obama speak at the DNC?
According to organizers, doors at the United Center Tuesday will open at 4 p.m. CT, with main programming beginning at 6 p.m. CT, according to the DNC website. As of Tuesday morning, it wasn't immediately known when the Obamas were set to take the stage.
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Speaking in his political hometown of Chicago, the nation’s first Black president will honor President Joe Biden’s legacy after his exit from the campaign while making the case for another historic figure, Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s poised to be a significant moment as she takes on former President Donald Trump in a matchup that features the same cultural and ideological fissures Obama warned against two decades ago.
“President Obama is still a north star in the party,” said Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who credits the 44th president with helping her become her state’s first Black woman lieutenant governor.
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Besides Harris herself on Thursday, Stratton said, no voice this week is more integral to stirring Democrats, reaching independents and cajoling moderate Republicans than Obama.
“He knows how to get across the finish line,” she said.
Who else is speaking at the DNC?
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who in the mix to be Harris’ running mate, is also expected to deliver an address Tuesday, as will Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and entertainment host Ana Navarro. A full schedule of speakers is expected to be released later Tuesday.
Doors at the United Center Tuesday will open at 4 p.m. CT, with main programming beginning at 6 p.m. CT, according to the DNC website. Other scheduled events include a delegation breakfast, caucuses and meetings on reproductive rights, social media in election campaigns and more.
The theme for the Tuesday edition of the convention will be “A Bold Vision for America’s Future,” highlighting the Harris-Walz platform and their vision for the road ahead for the United States.
Former President Bill Clinton is expected to speak Wednesday, Clinton speaking Wednesday along with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was chosen as the vice-presidential nominee on the ticket. Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s presidential nomination on Thursday.
How long is the DNC in Chicago?
The 2024 DNC in Chicago begins Monday, Aug. 19. It continues through Thursday, Aug. 22, with speeches expected for four consecutive nights.
Where is the convention?
The convention takes place in two locations.
The primary location for the convention, where speeches will be delivered and votes will be taken, will be at the United Center, located on the city’s West Side. The building is the home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, and also hosted the Democratic National Convention in 1996.
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There will also be caucus and council meetings throughout the week taking place at McCormick Place, the city’s largest convention center. The building is located near Lake Michigan, just south of Soldier Field and the city’s Museum Campus.
What time and how to watch the DNC live
All four floor sessions of the Democratic National Convention will be livestreamed on NBC Chicago’s website and mobile app, and in the player above.
Speeches will also be available on the NBC 5 Chicago News 24/7 Streaming Channel.
Viewers can also expect expanded coverage via Telemundo Chicago and the Telemundo Chicago app.
Streaming times for remaining days (all times Central):
Tuesday: 6-10 p.m.
Wednesday: 6-10 p.m.
Thursday: 6-10 p.m.
