Obama Inauguration Handout

THE INAUGURATION of President Barack Obama



WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY:

JANUARY 20, 2009

The presidential inauguration is the official day that the President of the United States is sworn into office. The purpose of this inauguration is to honor the incoming president with formal ceremonies, including: a Presidential Swearing-in Ceremony, an Inaugural Address, and an Inaugural Parade. President-elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office, which states the following: I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. WHY DO WE CARE? The peaceful transition of power through a democratic process is an exceptional event to witness and an honor and privilege the United States fought hard to achieve and continues to take pride in maintaining. The cause of political freedom has been a cause of many people and nations in

INAUGURAL PROGRAM Musical Selections: The United States Marine Band, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Diane Feinstein Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens

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President-elect Obama at Sunday’s Inauguration Concert

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Vice President-elect Joseph Biden

The Capitol Building - where the inauguration Ceremonies take place

The Inaugural Program (Continued)

Musical Selections John Williams, composer/ arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet) President-elect Barack H. Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible,administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr. Inaugural Address Poem Elizabeth Alexander Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”

The Inauguration: Why Do We Care? (Continued) history. It is remarkable that despite deep political and cultural divisions our country continues to honor the foundation of our constitution and the political process it set forth for choosing our leaders. Despite who people voted for in the November election, when Obama takes office he becomes the president for all US citizens and those of us living in this country. By witnessing this event we participate in a transition in leadership, the beginning of a new chapter, and gain insight into the philosophy of leadership to come. While all Presidential Inaugurations are important, the inauguration of Barack Obama bears particular significance. He will be the first African-American to hold this highest office. The United States was founded on a system of slavery which specifically kept people of African Descent in servitude, denying them access to the American promise of freedom and equality. Long after slavery was abolished in our country, people of African descent continued to be discriminated against in the law and in society. From the Abolition Movement in the 1800s through the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s through today people have fought to end discrimination and create a just society that welcomes and nurtures all. The election of Barack Obama has given many Americans and people worldwide the hope that a new era of American History has begun in which this cause of equality and justice will finally ring true.

NUMBERS The number of U.S. presidents there will have been after Tuesday:

44 The number in millions of people who may be on hand for the inauguration:

2 The projected temperature in Washington D.C.

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