In our last installment, we discussed some positive signs in the race relations situation.

I have now graduated from college and am hanging around Raleigh, taking courses and working for the Raleigh Recreation Department in preparation for graduate school in the fall.  This was the summer of 1963, called by some the “long hot summer,” or by others, the summer the police turned around.

To set the time frame, this was the summer of the Greensboro lunch counter sit it, the Selma, Alabama march and other large acts of civil disobedience in which African Americans let it be known that they would no longer accept second class citizenship.  Many cities in the Southeastern United States  were  “integrated” thus, and Raleigh was no exception.  The only difference was that the leaders of both sides agreed to keep the press out of it, and the only coverage was short articles on the back page of the Raleigh News and Observer.

Every night thousands of African-Americans would gather in downtown Raleigh in order to hold a huge, peaceful demonstrations.  They would march, on the sidewalks, singing, chanting and obeying all the laws.  They even had marshals that would halt the procession at “Don’t walk” signs.  Remember, the police would at this time take any excuse to violently break up these peaceful demonstrations, arresting many.  But that never happened here.  Of course, the police also did nothing about the streets filled with cars that would blow their horns when the demonstrators started singing, throwing bricks  and bottles at the demonstrators.  Somewhere in the middle of the summer, the police began protecting the demonstrators instead of trying to beat and arrest them.

There were whites that marched with the demonstrators, but I was not one of them.  I couldn’t, due to the job I had mentioned above, part of which was managing a softball field at night.  On this particular field the teams from the local civic organizations would have their games(Kiwanis, Optimist etc).  Nearby was a small black neighborhood.  The boys from this neighborhood would come to watch the games, but the civic leaders on these teams informed them they were not welcome, at which point I pointed out to these civic minded gentlemen that I was the representative of the city of Raleigh on this property, and until I was told otherwise, they were.

The summer of ‘63 came to an end and I was off to the liberal midwest for graduate school.  I lived in a section of a dormitory at the University If Minnesota  reserved for graduate students.  I was mortified to discover that many of my dorm-mates were even more racist that those I’d left in the Southeast, with the difference that my dorm-mates were more ignorant.  Watching football on a communal was to listen to one racial slur after another, along with intelligent comments such as “these don’t like to play defense.”  I must hasten to point out that this type of student did not last long, supporting the argument that prejudice is closely aligned with ignorance.

The rest of my years in graduate school were uneventful from a racial point of view, as were my two years in Military Intelligence in the Washington DC area.  By this time, unfortunately, the African Americans had their own “ghettos” and it was not wise for whites to enter, particularly with a military officers bumper sticker.

This brought me to Fargo, North Dakota in 1970.  Here, at that time, I encountered more ignorance and racism that anywhere else.  It appears, among other things, that the locals were totally unaware of the history of the blacks in the United States.  I heard many racial slurs and “jokes.”   I recall knowing the owner of a construction business who had to import blacks in order to get a government contract.  He did move some families here from Chicago, but told all his friends to be sure to lock their doors, as the crime rate was sure to rise.  It didn’t, of course, since crime is committed generally by people without jobs, regardless of ethnicity.

Well, in the course of events I chose other associates, and still wonder of the vile racism I encountered
upon arriving still exists.  The results of the last election might indicate that to some degree that it does, but on a national scale, it has abated at least enough to elect Barack Obama.  While I think the United States still has a long way to go to achieve equality of opportunity for all ethnicities, it is not only amazing to me that we elected a black president, but that it was no more of a big deal than it was.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The Inauguration of President Barack Obama

Monday, January 19th – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
In 1994, to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service.  To honor Dr. King’s legacy, the President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families, joined by Americans in communities all across the country, will participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, D.C. area.

That night, on the eve of the Inauguration, there will be a youth concert at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C. The concert will be free, but tickets are required.

Tuesday, January 20th – Inauguration Day
The President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families will participate in the traditional inaugural ceremonies and events. For the first time ever, the length of the National Mall will be open to those wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony.  Festivities will commence at 10 a.m. on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and will include:

•    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 Dianne 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
•    Musical Selection: 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”

After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House with groups traveling from all over the country to participate.

Later that day, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host ten official Inaugural Balls.  More details about the Inaugural Balls will be released at a later date.

Wednesday, January 21st
The newly-inaugurated President and Vice President of the United States will participate in a prayer service.