Thoughts about Inaugural Day - January 20, 2009

Jan. 20, 2009 will go down in history books as the day Barack Obama, a man of color, took the oath of office to become the 44th president of the United States.

Shortly before President Obama was sworn in, Aretha Franklin belted out “My Country Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty…” and I had a thought—what it was like to live in a house that wasn’t really mine.

I slept there, ate there, cried and laughed there, dreamed and laid out hopes for the future there. It was a place where I vacuumed the rug and swept and mopped the floors and even painted the walls when they needed a new coat. I grew up in one house and took on adult responsibilities in another. These houses were places I occupied, but didn’t attach to. They belonged to someone else.

I am co-owner of the house that I live in today. My husband and I had the privilege of selecting the colors and textures and styles of many of the features of this house. There is a different feeling that I have about this house. I have allowed myself to become attached.

I am white, so I will never really understand what it’s like to be a person of color living in the United States of America. But I wonder if what I felt about living in a house I didn’t own are similar to the feelings some African Americans have about living in the United States.

As I listened to the words of that great song Aretha sang, my hopes were raised for people of color who carry the emotional baggage of living in their country where their ancestors were not treated as equals. And, where some still feel the sting of inequality when words or actions, spat carelessly or deliberately, ignite the memory and cause pain.

When Aretha sang “my country” I thought of the legitimacy of the statement for her and others who may be hearing, for the first time, their life story imbedded in the song because it is tied to the historic occasion of the inauguration of the first American president of color. The verse “Land where my fathers died,” takes on a whole new meaning for black Americans in context of the tragedy of slavery and the triumph of the civil rights movement.

My hope is that those who have felt more like occupiers felt and embraced the sense of ownership that came with the words, “my country.” And finally, a sense of peace and belonging has resonated in their souls. My hope is also that those of us who have white skin can appreciate and rejoice in this restorative moment for our brothers and sisters of color even if we don’t agree with president Barack Obama’s positions on critical issues.

God is sovereign. History is “His story” as pastor Rick Warren said during the inaugural invocation. The American institution of slavery should never have been. The inequities experienced by people of color should never have been. It was and still is sin wherever and whenever it occurs. But I have a God-given hope that He will speak to the hearts and raise up the heads of those who call on His name.

Be hopeful

Kathy