By: Brittany Alexander
Fifty years after Dr. King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial; President Barack Obama was sworn into his second term on Dr. King’s bible at the opposite end of the National Mall, on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.
An inauguration is a moment for hope. A moment when members of Congress from both sides can appreciate how unique this country is, how blessed we are, and make a pledge toward achieving bipartisanship. It is only the second time Inauguration Day has coincided with Dr. King’s observance. The only other time a presidential inauguration has fallen on Dr. King’s observance was in 1997 at the start of President Bill Clinton’s second term. Clinton intertwined Dr. King’s memory in his inaugural address. The inauguration has enhanced the observance, because it heightens people’s awareness about what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for. It gives validation to the significant work that he made to this country.
“If it hadn’t been for Martin Luther King Jr., there would be no Barack Obama as president,” says U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who worked with Dr. King in the fight for civil rights during the 1950s and ’60s.
President Obama set the tone of his inauguration by turning the page on the political battles of the past and hoping for something of a fresh start. He acknowledged that he will not be able to “settle every debate or resolve every difference” he made “an obligation to work together.” The details of his plans will be discussed in his State of the Union address on February 12. President Obama is beginning his second term with the highest job approval rating in years. According to ABC News and Washington Post, most Americans also favor Obama’s position on the debt ceiling, gun control measures, and reforms for the immigration system.
Excellent Brittany, excellent indeed.
Thank you so much
As hopeful as this moment is, there is still a prevailing racism among some that refuse to celebrate King as a hero. I reflect on this in my post “Was It Only a Dream?: Hoosier Perspectives on Martin Luther King, Jr.” Perhaps you might check it out and let me know what you think.
I enjoyed reading your post. Your personal encounters were thought provoking. I gave you a little bit of my perspective as well.
As a non-American, my perspective on and understanding of America is somewhat superficial. But I do hope that in the coming years the men and women in your Congress and Senate work together harmoniously, in the best interests of your great nation.
I hope for the same thing! Hopefully in the future more progress will be made toward achieving unity.
Thank you for stopping by!
Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat.Com™ and commented:
Reading this from, Ms. Alexander, gives an old man hope for the future of America, and America’s Black citizens. Thank you Inside Public Minds.
Thank you! I enjoyed reading your blog as well! President Obama is definitely one of my role models
You are a young woman of great taste. Ciao Bella.