Local residents see Obama’s inauguration as fulfillment of MLK’s dream

“I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.”

With that oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts at noon EST Tuesday, Mr. Obama became the 44th president of the United States.

The significance of that anticipated moment was not lost on local citizens who had gathered the day before to honor the legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. With the inauguration of Mr. Obama firmly in their minds, many residents turned out to pay tribute to the cause that allowed the American electorate to vote into office their first African American president.

For Wanda Gosha, 53, the pending inauguration was a cause of celebration.

“I lived through the time, like at the Kress store, where they had black and white entrances,” Ms. Gosha said. “I lived during the time involving the schools, where we could only go to certain schools.”

Ms. Gosha also recalled the inspiration she received from the late Dr. King’s now famous “I have a dream” speech. And, she noted, she is fortunate to live in a time when that dream became a reality.
“I never really dreamed of a day like we will see tomorrow (inauguration of Barack Obama),” Ms. Gosha continued. “But now, Dr. King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech has come alive. I feel, at this point in time, that we have come full circle.

“To me, it teaches us, as a nation, that you can achieve your dreams, just like our new president did.

“We have people in different offices, but to achieve the office of the President of the United States of America, that sends a strong signal to our children.”

Yolanda Smith, 29, was not around during the Civil Rights Movement that was led by Dr. King and others. But, she believes her life has been made better because of their efforts. With her husband, William, and their two children, Shemiria, 6, and William Jr., 1, Mrs. Smith joined other local citizens in honoring Dr. King’s memory Monday. She also shared her feelings about the pending inauguration of Barack Obama.

“I was named after Dr. King’s first daughter,” Mrs. Smith said as she explained why Monday’s Memorial March, sponsored by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and Leadership Coalition, was important to her and to her family. “It’s important to keep the dream of Dr. King alive.  This event means equality for all. It means blacks and whites can come together for this cause. It’s an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come - that this country can elect an African American as president of the United States.”

Mrs. Smith noted the face of today’s America is a lot different than the one her ancestors encountered.

“When I was going to school, the attitude of my peers, of all races, was that we all got along,” said the former Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native. “It was a different attitude from what my grandparents described.

“It’s the attitude and vote of the young people that made Barack Obama’s election possible.”