WASHINGTON—It was a star-studded afternoon on the national mall Sunday. Celebrities, musicians, and the man set to take the oath of office on Tuesday gathered with a crowd of hundreds of thousands at the Lincoln Memorial for the “We are One: Opening Inaugural Celebration.”
Bruce Springsteen opened the day’s festivities backed by a choir in bright red robes with “The Rising,” and the cold audience knew that their long wait was going to be worth it.
Springsteen was followed by a host of other performers including Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Bettye LaVette, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Usher, Shakira, James Taylor, will.i.am, U2, Stevie Wonder, and others.
In between musical performances celebrities read inspirational quotes from Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others to the endless expanse of people.
Celebrity readers included Jack Black, Steve Carrell, Rosario Dawson, Jaimie Foxx, Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah, Laura Linney, Denzel Washington, Tiger Woods, and others.
The mood was overwhelmingly celebratory. The music selections were almost all classics that the audience could sing along with, and many of the performances were by combinations of artists unlikely to perform together.
Usher and Shakira joined Stevie Wonder for a rendition of his classic “Higher Ground,” and Jon Bon Jovi sang the seminal civil rights anthem “A Change is Gonna Come” with soul singer Bettye LaVette.
President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden enjoyed front row seats, of course, along with their families for the two-hour event. Each made brief remarks near the end of the show.
Biden spoke of the dignity of the American work force, saying “We owe them the chance to go to work each day knowing they have the thanks of a grateful nation.”
Obama, in keeping with the themes of the day, referenced the words and deeds of the president whose memorial stood behind him as well as the memory of the civil rights leader who stood in that very same spot in 1963 and proclaimed “I have a dream.”
“Directly in front of us is a pool that still reflects the dream of a King and the glory of a people who marched and bled so that their children might be judged by their character’s content,” he said.
Speaking solemnly about the economic crisis and ongoing wars in the middle East, Obama remained humble.
“There is no doubt that our road will be long,” he said, “That our climb will be steep. But never forget that the true character of our nation is revealed not during times of comfort and ease, but by the right we do when the moment is hard. I ask you to help reveal that character once more, and together, we can carry forward as one nation, and one people, the legacy of our forefathers that we celebrate today.”
Michelle and Barack Obama have asked the nation to make Monday, which is Martin Luther King Day, a national day of service.
In an email to their supporters, Michelle said, “It will take ordinary citizens working together with a common purpose to get this country back on track. This national day of service is an important first step in our continuing commitment. Now is the time to remind all Americans what ordinary people can accomplish when we stand together.”
Barack Obama will officially become the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday at noon.
