Obama's Inauguration Day

I was not originally a fan of Obama. I needed to be convinced. And I have been.

Many people in the media have been criticising the President's policies and actions. This is nothing new.

They are now saying he has failed to deliver on his campaign promises. But I remember:

1) He said he did not have all the answers;
2) He also said we were all in this together; and
3) He said it would take more than one year, and possibly more than one term, to accomplish what he has set out to do.

President Obama is very aware of history, and he is learning from the example of FDR. To read more, see: Rescue from the Brink of Economic Collapse.

On Tuesday 20th January 2009, Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States.

The benediction was read by Joseph E. Lowery, co-founder with Dr. Martin Luther King of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. He started off by quoting lines from the Black National Anthem: "God of our weary years/God of our silent tears", thus underlining the links with African American history and heritage.

He gave thanks for "the shared experience of this day" and prayed for god to "mend our brokenness", "heal our wounds" and, in a particularly timely addition, "deliver us from exploitation and favouritism".

The inauguration had been kicked off with a bash at which Beyonce Knowles headlined. Other performers included Bono of U2, and Bruce Springsteen.

The oath was administered at about 5:30 p.m. GMT in Washington, D.C. The new President placed his right hand on the Bible which was once owned by Abraham Lincoln.

Stephen Spielberg, Halle Berry and Berry Gordy, Jr., the founder of Motown, have all contributed financially to Obama's inauguration day.

The BBC commented about the contrast with Bush's inauguration ceremony in 2004, where there were very few Black faces present.

In addition to his wife and two daughters, members of Obama's Kenyan family were present.

Obama was said to have fluffed his lines during the Inauguration ceremony, but he was following the lead of the person who administered the oath. His detractors immediately started claiming that the inauguration was not legal. The President took the oath again, just to be sure.

I watched in a pub in Brixton with six guys. Five were white Irish men seemingly intent on getting as drunk as possible. I was kind of disappointed.

The sixth was a Black man from South Africa. When I asked him why he was watching the inauguration, he replied, "This is big! This is huge!" and said it was as big as Mandela's election.

I watched the scenes of Aretha Franklin singing the National Anthem, and the flags waving in the breeze, and I recalled the days when we would recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school, changing the words to "and liberty and justice for some".

Obama's speech drew on our American history and legacy, and the fact that our country was founded on the ideals of freedom, liberty and equality. He spoke of "what we can achieve with imagination, joy and a common purpose".

When I left, my new South African friend held my hand for a moment and wished me well.

Is Obama the new American zeitgeist?
Click here to view an Obama video made in Brixton.

Many African American people were strongly moved and inspired by the vision of an African American President. Obama's election was truly groundbreaking. He mobilized sections of society which are notorious for failing to vote, e.g. young Black people, who often feel marginalized and disenfranchised. Some of the first-time voters who cast their ballots for Obama were elderly people, the oldest being a woman of 106.

Francine Beleyi of Nucleus of Change , a French woman of African heritage, wrote to me to say,

"Today, 20/01/09, is an historic moment which will certainly change the way Black people see ourselves and how others see us. It is truly significant and the whole planet is watching. This rare moment in humanity should be an opportunity for all races, religions, etc to come together as one and to start to value our differences instead of fighting about them. This is our opportunity to work together towards a better world. I hope that Obama will carry this heavy task through to the end with grace, humility and talent and wish him a great success that will mark a stepping stone for the human race."

Many young white Americans were also inspired by Obama's message and worked for his election campaign.

Internationally, he is being greeted as an antidote to the Bush years of war and violence.

In his inaugural speech, he stressed the need for Americans to respond with maturity to the crises the country is currently facing.

He also stated, "We can no longer afford to ignore the suffering outside our borders". This is in sharp contrast to what is often seen as America's insular, inward-looking attitude and approach, which deepened under the Bush administration.

In his inauguration speech, the new President stated that we were "mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors" and reminded us that 60 years ago, someone like him would not have been served in a restaurant. But he did not have to go that far back in history - 40 years would have done it, certainly in the South.

And there are restaurants in Kenya today that refuse to serve African people.

Obama is well aware of his history as a man of African heritage. His Kenyan grandfather faithfully served in the British Army during the Second World War, but was later imprisoned and tortured by the British because of his support for pro-Kenyan organisations.

The British occupied Kenya from the beginning of the 20th century and committed many atrocities against the Kenyans, killing Kenyan people and taking their land. The current instability of the country can be traced back to the British occupation. For more details, see: Kenya's Colonial Past.

Obama's campaign was characterised by unity and inclusion. Similarly to Nelson Mandela, he gave a clear message that he would be President for all Americans. This followed in the tradition of Martin Luther King, who gathered support from many different segments of the American public, including poor whites, and Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition. For more on Martin Luther King's legacy, visit Daddy B Strong's blogs on The Gift of Dr. King and Are There Any Drum Majors in Here?

To read more about Obama, visit Barack Obama: African American Success Story and Celebrating Barack Obama

Inauguration parties were held all over the world. In London, the Democrats Abroad ball was sold out, but people celebrated at various TGI Friday's, as well as Madame Tussaud's or the Tricycle Cinema in Northwest London. Free events included Rich Mix in Bethnal Green Road, East London and the "Dare To Dream, Yes You Can" event at Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham, North London. These events included live screenings of the inauguration.

In Munich, The Munich Inaugural Ball 2009 was a bipartisan event hosted by the California Association of Germany and the Munich International Ski Club with special guests hosts Republicans Abroad and Democrats Abroad.

In Vienna, an event was held at the *Amerika Haus, Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 2 1010 Vienna* and is supported by the US Embassy in Austria. The event starts at 4:OO pm.

President Obama, Barack Obama, inauguration, London, UK, Munich, Vienna, Kenya, Black history, African heritage, African American, Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, /Aretha Franklin, Steven Spielberg, Beyonce Knowles

What is Barack Obama's knowledge of Black/African American history?

What is the relevance of Obama's Kenyan family heritage?