WASHINGTON, D.C. – It’s 5 a.m. on Monday morning in Washington D.C. Despite the 30 degree weather, hundreds of people have already begun lining up on more than 10 streets, which have been shut down and converted to security check points.
After a ride on the subway (the only public transportation running through the city), and a two-hour wait in the security line, these people take their places on the National Mall to witness history. History in the form of President Barack Obama, the first African-American president, being sworn in to his second term alongside Vice President Joe Biden.
In this technological age, it’s not often that one has the opportunity to witness historic events in person. Live-streams and live-tweeters have replaced the excitement of going out and actually being a part of history as it takes place. I, for one, could not let this particular opportunity pass me by.
In the hours leading up to the inaugural ceremony, hundreds of thousands of people painted a beautiful portrait of the individuals who make up our great nation. Complete strangers high-fiving each other, random shouts of joy, young children dancing while waving the American flag, gay and interracial couples proudly showcasing their love while walking hand-in-hand. The playful atmosphere was reminiscent of a music festival, not a ceremonial event such as a Presidential Inauguration. There was no shame, no judgement and no political agendas. Simply a celebration of our President, our freedoms and our country.
Adding to the excitement was the weight of how truly historic this particular inauguration was.
When Obama took the stage to recite the Oath of Office, he placed his left hand on top of former President Abraham Lincoln’s Bible, the same Bible he used in his first Inaugural Ceremony in 2009.
However, this time around, the Bible of civil-rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr., was placed underneath the Lincoln bible. During the 30 seconds that it took President Obama to recite the oath, more 200 years of history came full circle. From Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation 149 years ago, freeing more than 3 million slaves, to Martin Luther King Jr., who fought to make sure people would “not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Fast forward to the chilly morning of January 21, 2013 on the steps of the Capitol Building, where the first African-American President of the United States was sworn in to his second term.
Carrying the torch of fighting for civil rights, Obama had hopeful words for both women’s rights and LGBT activists in his inaugural speech, saying, “…It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”
After President Obama’s moving speech and electrifying performances by stars like James Taylor, Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson, the thousands of American citizens in attendance were left feeling hopeful. Hopeful that the four years that precede us will be the foundation for generations of progress to come.
