Aretha at the Inaugural

[sachem_head]

I watched the inaugural in the little coffee shop in the D'Amour Library at WNEC today. Luckily, it was between classes for me. First, I wandered down to the Bear's Den in the lower level of the cafeteria. They had projection screens set up down there and they appeared to be giving out free food, but I didn't see a good place to sit, so I went to

Comments

[pkhentz]

I watched the Inauguration in the school auditorium, in between redirecting my kids' attention. Most of the kids seemed to get what they were watching, and why it's important. We had kids from all three schools in the building there in the auditorium, and they booed lustily anytime Bush or Cheney appeared on screen or were mentioned. They didn't know what to make of that bow on Aretha's hat, or Rick Warren's prayer. It was interesting, but I was too much "on the job," I think, to really appreciate the historic nature of the moment fully.

[sachem_head]

I see what you mean, pkhentz. But I also suppose your students responded more viscerally to what was going on than the college students and librarians that I was sitting with.

I was traveling.

[redbaydreamer]

My plane took off from Cleveland at 11:10 a.m. and landed in Baltimore at 12:20 p.m. No tv's on Southwest, so I got to see part of the poetry reading and some of the other stuff as I walked through the airport. We did have random additional searching of the passengers before we got on the plane. I guess they wanted to make sure that some one hadn't made arrangements to have something not good waiting for them on the plane side of security. Whatever. I was not surprised, but I expected it at security not at the gate. I asked around as we were lining up to get on the plane in Baltimore but no one else seemed to have experienced what I did, but maybe they weren't in the air at noon

Thanks for the links.

[redbaydreamer]

It was good to get to read the speech and the poem. Both were very inspired and thought provoking. On the site where the poem was there was a link to this poem. How timely is it?

I, Too, Sing America
by Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--

I, too, am America.

I think the line "They'll see how beautiful I am and be ashamed" then "I, too, am America." Wow. Shouldn't that make us all stop and think?

Re: Thanks for the links.

[sachem_head]

You're welcome, redbaydreamer. I heard Natasha Tretheway read that same Langston Hughes poem on NPR last night.