Martin Luther King Jr. Day has inspired pride and service among many Americans in the 25 years since it became a national holiday, but on the eve of the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, many felt those emotions multiplied.
Inaugural poet Elizabeth Alexander, a Pulitzer Prize finalist known for her evocative poems echoing the black experience, stood atop the north side of the U.S. Capitol on Monday morning, looking out over the National Mall where she’ll speak Tuesday before millions.
As she wrote the poem to be read tomorrow for the first time, Alexander said she could not ignore memories of King.
“The convergence” of King’s holiday with Obama’s inauguration, she said, “is profound and exquisite.”
Less than a mile away, Obama quoted the celebrated civil rights leader at a service project at the Sasha Bruce House, a home for displaced youth at Maryland Avenue and 11th Street NE.
“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve,” Obama said, repeating one of King’s most oft-cited quotes.
Maggie Lockner, visiting from Minneapolis, happened upon the event while out for a morning run and became one of about 300 people gathered awaiting Obama’s exit.
“It was more emotional than I thought it would be,” Lockner said. “Especially to see so many young kids, black and white, and to see everyone waving and cheering together.”
Elsewhere in the District, church services and celebratory programs remembered King while anticipating tomorrow’s historic inauguration.
At the Washington National Cathedral, a packed celebration designed for youth featured poets, choirs and hip-hop artists remembering King through songs and letters. Pre-addressed envelopes to Obama were stacked at the back of the giant cathedral, awaiting letters from students in the audience.
And after an afternoon live broadcast of the “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” inaugural singer Aretha Franklin warmed up for tomorrow’s performance with a free concert tribute to King at the Kennedy Center.
A statement from Obama captured the crowd’s emotion.
“As we go forward in the work of renewing the promise of this nation, let’s remember King’s lesson — that our separate dreams are really one.”
