Obama's Inauguration: The Work Is Not Done

The inauguration represents a historic moment, but we still have more to do

In a few short days, this country will witness history in the making.  It will be the first time that a black president has been inaugurated for a second term.  This year, we will celebrate other milestones that helped our nation achieve this feat: The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln 150 years ago, abolishing slavery and making blacks free.  Just 50 years ago, African Americans from across the country descended on the nation’s capital for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.  During this march, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous, “I Have A Dream” speech, where he outlined his dream of what this nation could become.  In a lifetime, this nation has become a place where a black man can be president, not for one term, but two.  When President Obama takes his oath on Monday, he will continue to tie together the legacy of these three great men as he uses President Lincoln’s Bible and Dr. King’s Bible for the public swearing in ceremony on the national King Holiday while facing the Lincoln Monument.