Email
Print
Historic ceremony viewed by students, faculty at Mitchell
Bruce Matlock photo
Lillie Brown, a 73-year-old student at Mitchell Community College, listens as Barack Obama takes the oath of office.
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: January 21, 2009
As a young person, Lillie Brown prayed she would live long enough to see a black president.
Her dream has come true.
As Barack Obama took the oath as the 44th president of the United States, Brown made sure to witness it.
Brown, 73, said she never ruled out the idea that voters would eventually elect an African-American president, she just didn't believe it would occur in her lifetime.
"I was never in disbelief it would happen, but I never saw it as part of my future," she said.
Brown was one of many Obama supporters who attended a watch party Tuesday at Mitchell Community College's Montgomery Center.
As Obama gave his inauguration address, Brown sketched a drawing of him for art class.
For her and millions of other Americans who thought they would never see the nation progress from the social ills and segregation of the past, seeing Obama take office was truly a moving moment.
"Chills ran down my spine when he spoke," she said.
Setting the tone
Red, white and blue balloons tied to a banister outside the student center swayed back and forth in the frigid winds, setting a tone for the patriotic spirit of a mass of people inside.
Students, faculty and staff members streamed into the center to watch history unfold on television.
A silence blanketed the center as Pastor Rick Warren gave the invocation, stirring some of the onlookers to tears.
Velva Stevenson, Milton Beamon and Marcella James sat at a table together as the inauguration played out.
Stevenson wanted to ensure she watched the inauguration because "this is something I've never experienced and probably will never experience another one," she said.
"It was very emotional to see a young black man stepping up to the plate," Stevenson said. "I never thought I'd see that."
Beamon agreed.
"I wanted to be part of it because history is being made," he said. "To witness the very first black president is something I never thought I'd see and I had to see it."
James said she celebrated on behalf of her father, Barney Dalton, who passed away last year.
"He always told me he'd never live to see it happen, but his vote got him (Obama) in there and that makes me feel good," James said.
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
