WASHINGTON, D.C. – “I have never seen so many black people!” Dina Suggs said of the events surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday.
“I have never seen so many sisters in fur coats!” Suggs added, in reference to the freezing temperatures which, along with the massive overcrowding, made the past few days a tremendous challenge for more than a million Americans who made the journey to be a part of history.
A St. Louis native and vice president of the American, Suggs was part of a large contingent of black folks from St. Louis who traveled to Washington, D.C. to witness the events.
With the help of U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, Suggs even managed to secure a coveted seat in the ticketed area for the inauguration ceremony proper.
“There was a lot of camaraderie, sobbing – the blonde lady next to me put her arm around me,” Suggs said.
“And then to look out at that crowd – it was incredibly, insanely moving.”
Suggs also caught a rare, candid glimpse of President Obama at the end of the parade following his inauguration, as he greeted a familiar face – a black man – by showing him some dap with a brotherly handshake and shoulder hug.
“What I love about the Obamas is they are not trying to sublimate their blackness,” Suggs said.
“They are not throwing it in your face all the time, but they are not sublimating it.”
Having a ball with the Obamas
“Today was your day,” President Obama told a cheering crowed at the Midwestern States Inaugural Ball late Tuesday.
With Michelle Obama in an elegant gown and the president sporting a spiffy tuxedo, the Obamas danced for the crowd – a classic slow drag to the tune “At Last.”
“It was so moving to see the two of them dance together. They really are just electric,” Suggs said.
“The way they were holding each other, you really see their strength as a couple. Women were crying.”
Before their dance, Obama said, “There is something about the Midwest, the heartland, that speaks to Michelle and me.”
“We don’t want somebody telling us what we can’t do, when we know yes, we can. We can make jobs, health care and quality education possible. We can make sure America’s best days are ahead of us.”
Attorney Jerryl Christmas, who is a member of U.S. Sen.Claire McCaskill’s staff in Washington, D.C., called the day “gratifying and historic.”
“It’s elation, gratification and compensation,” he said.
Speaking of Sen. McCaskill, former Missouri Tiger Sheryl Crow gave her a shout out just as she was beginning her concert set.
“Claire was very exuberant – she showed a little rhythm,” Suggs said.
Crow and The Fabulous Motown Revue performed before appearances by Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill, and then the Obamas.
Biden told the crowd, “Today, we witnessed history; tomorrow, President Obama and I will start making history.”
Mike Jones, executive assistant to County Executive Charlie Dooley, and his wife Kathy Conley Jones were among the revelers.
Mike Jones said he now knows how his father must have felt when Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier.
“He was so far from where the average brother was in 1946 – that’s the comparison,” Jones said.
“This was a game-changer for America. I’m part of the Moses generation; I won’t make it to the promised land. But I’m glad to see some people from the Joshua generation rise up and knock down the walls of Jericho.”
U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay and his wife Ivie were celebrating as well. As they called it an evening, Mrs. Clay was decked out in a full-length fur. It was one of thousands on display during this ice-cold MLK Weekend and Inauguration Day.
Frozen tears
My tears were frozen.
As Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, emotion swept the National Mall and Capital grounds. Hugs, shouts and oh so many tears.
As Obama spoke of America again becoming a world leader and a place where all people are honored, it became clear that this indeed was reality.
This nation has an African-American president.
I was just one of more than a million people. But we all felt the same way at the same time. It carried such warmth that a stiff wind and frigid weather couldn’t ruin it. It was truly beautiful.
“It was really special, monumental,” said U.S. Rep. Clay, while hosting a reception following the inauguration.
“This fulfills America’s promise and its creed that all men are created equal. This is what Dr. King was really talking about. Words cannot describe what has occurred here.”
Clay said Obama’s speech was “firm” and clearly stated what his legislative agenda is and what he wants to accomplish.
Clay said he was especially impressed with Obama’s call to “end these wars and help under-achieving nations.”
Earl Wilson Jr., president of the St. Louis Gateway Classic Foundation, called the moment “unbelievable.”
“Everyone cried, whether you were here or watching on television,” Wilson said.
“I wouldn’t have missed this for a lifetime.”
“It was the most American event that I have ever had the honor of being a
part of,” said Brandon Davis, political director of Service Employees International Union Missouri/Kansas Council.
“It was a sea of faces representing every generation, race, creed, and
ethnicity, each of them there to be a part of the birth of a new era, a new
direction, and a new philosophy of what the United State means to its
citizens and the citizens of the world.”
Family affair
Arlene Taylor of North County also said being at the inauguration was a “must do.”
Her 15 brothers and sisters from eight states agreed and were here too.
“We’re enjoying this immensely. The weather and the elements just make it more of an adventure,” she said.
“We had to be here. Just had to.”
Dorris McGhaw of North County also said, “I couldn’t have missed it.”
So she boarded a charter bus at midnight Sunday in St. Louis and headed east. And she made the trip a family affair.
“We’ve got three generations,” she said.
That includes a daughter, son, two grandchildren, a niece and a friend.
“I’ve been involved as an Obama volunteer since January 2008. I was at the convention in Denver, and this time I wanted family to be apart of it,” she said.
Road to Obama
Buses from across America spanned I-70 headed to Washington, D.C. I spoke with a group of college students from Arkansas as the snow fell at an Indianapolis convenience store and gas station.
In Columbus, Ohio a group of high-school students braved a stiff wind and snow as they boarded a bus for D.C. at 6 a.m. Sunday.
I saw other groups on I-70 from St. Louis to Ohio to Pennsylvania to Maryland, and then into Washington. There was not a single frown.
The drive from St. Louis was a lot like the campaign. With snow and high winds, just as Barack and Michelle Obama did, you had to keep pushing on.
Like the campaign, it was tough pretty much all the way, But there were some bright times, and then some minutes where you had to decide, “I’m not stopping and I’m not turning back.”
We arrived at a massively crowded – and electric – Chocolate City.
While black people are always part of this metropolitan area’s social fabric (unlike in St. Louis), there were so many African Americans here from across the United States that many foreign visitors probably thought there are more black people than white in America.
While I’ve always believed this, this scene reminded me that there is nothing that black people can’t achieve.
Nothing.
As Brandon Davis said, “There was almost a tangible feeling that when President Obama raised his hand to take the oath of office, the term ‘African American’ became more than a politically correct reference, but rather a description of a people deeply rooted in the building of this country, and in every opportunity for change in the present and success in the future.”
