All party affiliations aside, today was an amazing day for the United States and the world. Barack Obama is officially the 44th president and 1st Black president of the United States. Although I wasn't in DC with other friends and family to witness this event, the front seat I had right in front of the TV was just as good. I, with my mom, dad, and younger sis, watched Obama take his presidential oath and give his Inaugural speech. The speech he gave was so inspirational and echoed his message of hope and change. The economy is in turmoil and although he's charged with fixing this mess, we share responsibility in righting this ship.
There were a few passages of his Inaugural address that left a lasting impression on me:
"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
"...Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. "
A truly beautiful speech. If you missed the Inaugural address, I suggest googling the text of the speech so you can read it.
So what does this day mean to you? Does it carry any significance? For me this day represents change and the realization of a dream. News announcers keep stressing the importance of this day for Black Americans but this day just doesn't belong to my people. This is a day that we all can take pride in. This is OUR history - a day we will remember for the rest of our lives. I'm elated, jubilant, blessed, and truly proud to be an American.
By the way, did anyone else watch the Neighborhood Ball? The first dance President Obama and Mrs. Obama shared while Beyonce sang Etta James's "At Last" was so touching. All of today's events were incredible.
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I think the thing I will remember the most from my experience at the Inauguration is the diversity of people in thr crowd. Of course there were a lot of Black faces but there also were people from different countries, all ages and all races! It was pretty amazing. So you're right. it's not just important for Black America it is important for us all as Americans.
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