Obama’s inauguration brings part of King’s dream to life

By John w. Goodwin jr.

111King, flanked by more than 250,000 supporters and marchers, climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in the August heat of 1963 and spoke of a vision that would be seen and shared by many around the country.

President-elect Barack Obama was barely 2 years old when King spoke those words.

In less than 24 hours, the day after the country celebrates the life of King, Obama will be designated the first U.S. president of black heritage only a short jog from the steps where King delivered his speech.

The Rev. Lonnie A. Simon of Campbell has more than distant memories of King’s famous address to the nation: He was there to see it.

The Rev. Mr. Simon and more than 150 other members of the Youngstown community loaded into cars and buses Aug. 27, 1963, and headed for Washington to participate in the march preceding King’s speech.

Mr. Simon, who served as a “chant leader” during the march, remembers the importance of the work being done by those who marched alongside King. He believes the work done then was a building block for the inauguration that will take place Tuesday.

“Those were exciting times,” he said. “They wouldn’t allow us to stay at any of the hotels. We had to stay with people in the different neighborhoods and sleep on the floor. The next day, we marched ... to the Capitol,” he said. “This inauguration is something, it’s so meaningful, so powerful.”

King in his travels around the country made many passes through Ohio. As early as the mid-1950s, the civil rights leader visited Oberlin College to speak. He would visit the college and Ohio several more times before his death in April 1968.

Those visits, and King’s work in general, had special meaning for many living in the area who did not attend the historic march on Washington or did not have the opportunity to see King deliver any of his famous speeches in person.

Obama’s election to the presidency has an equal amount of importance for those people.

Dorothy Berry, 81, of Campbell, remembers being denied the use of a restroom in a downtown Youngstown convenience store. She remembers dealing with educators who underestimated her ability because she was black, and she remembers not believing there would be a black president as a child partly because of those experiences.

“When I was in school, in the fifth grade — that had to be about 1938 — my teacher told us there would one day be a black president. We thought about it, but I really didn’t believe it because there just weren’t hardly any blacks in office at that time,” she said.

Berry, who worked for the Obama campaign, said she felt a sense of relief and wonder at the announcement of Obama’s election. She clasped her hands and simply said, “It’s about time.”

Those looking to the work of King as a forerunner to the recent election of Obama also may look to King’s work as a precursor to the election of Jay Williams, Youngstown’s first black mayor.

Williams said Obama’s victory is historic, just as King’s speech in 1963 was. But also like King’s speech, Obama’s election is a historic moment for every American regardless of ethnic background.

“President-elect Obama’s victory is an accomplishment for African-Americans, but also something that all Americans can and should embrace,” he said. “When I was elected the first black mayor, it was not I who made history but the people of Youngstown who voted for me who made history. The same applies to President Obama.”

The feeling of complete inclusion, and a coming together among the various ethnic groups that make up the country as a backdrop to King’s vision and Obama’s election, seem to ring true with several people.

Dr. Cryshanna Jackson, of Youngstown State University’s political science department, said King’s dream was one of inclusion for all people, and that Obama’s presidency is good not just for blacks, but for the country as a whole.

“We do have a black community and a white community, but part of that dream was one united community. Whether we agree or disagree with Obama’s politics, we have to agree that Obama has been able to unite the community,” Jackson said. “About 14 million blacks voted for him, but 50 million whites voted for him as well.”

Mr. Simon, who said he is happy to see this piece of King’s dream come to fruition, said an important aspect of a first black president is the showing of solidarity among races — something King would have admired.

“This is one of the most meaningful events, not just for black folks, but for white folks as well, to see this man as leader of the world,” he said. “Obama appeals to the masses.”

jgoodwin@vindy.com