January 20, 2009
Marie Iszkowski stood at the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama wearing a floor-length winter coat decorated with pins, a turtleneck sweater that came up to her mouth, a fleece hat, a scarf, and gloves—an attire completely different than the last time she stood on the National Mall with so many people to watch history take place. That was summertime – August 28, 1963, to be exact – the day that Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
“I knew it was the right thing to do and I feel very much like that today,” the 66-year-old Arlington, Va., resident explained, in reference to her attendance at King’s speech.
Despite the difference in weather, there were many similarities between the two events, Iszkowski said. For one, she said, the attendees at each event were enthralled in the moment, simply listening to the speech and looking at all of the people standing around them. She also said that she believes people will look back on Obama’s inauguration with many of the same emotions that they looked back on King’s speech with.
On a summer evening, King spoke before a crowd of over 250,000 people who had taken part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King delivered his 11-minute speech to supporters of desegregation. His speech was instrumental in mobilizing Americans, leading to the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, under the Kennedy Administration.
Forty-six years later, although the crowd size and security forces were greatly enlarged, the inauguration drew a similar throng looking for change. “There’s a definite link,” said Iszkowski, explaining the relationship between the two momentous events.
Iszkowski, born in France, has lived in Arlington for 40 years. She was barely 22 when she saw King speak. “I walked across Memorial Bridge. It seems like a very normal, logical thing to do, but at that time, things were not so obvious to everybody, including my mother. So, it was sort of a brave thing for a young girl to do.”
Although Iszkowski stood adjacent to the Washington Monument during the inauguration, 6,336 feet from the Capitol steps, she was in high spirits. “He [Obama] is an extraordinary human being. I’m very happy to be here.”
“This is a very exciting moment,” said Greta Morris of Arlington, a friend of Iszkowski’s. With wide eyes and a huge smile, Morris emitted a similar energy at the Washington Monument. She explained that she was attending her first inauguration because she has supported Obama since she saw him speak at the Democratic Convention in 2004.
“I said, ‘This man should be president of the United States,’ and I’ve been very excited throughout the campaign and thrilled that he won,” said Morris. A California native, Morris has always watched inaugurations on television and was excited to finally hear an inaugural address in person. Pleased with how polite everyone was, Morris noted the optimism of the crowd. “People of course seem to be in such a great mood, very happy, and very excited,” she said.
Chuck Hogeboom of Fairfax County attended Ronald Reagan’s first inauguration and many others. He, too, had an upbeat tone about Obama’s inauguration. “It’s always been a pretty exciting day.” Despite the freezing temperature, he even noted that the weather was “pretty good here today,” compared to some past inaugurations he has attended.
“I knew it was the right thing to do and I feel very much like that today,” the 66-year-old Arlington, Va., resident explained, in reference to her attendance at King’s speech.
Despite the difference in weather, there were many similarities between the two events, Iszkowski said. For one, she said, the attendees at each event were enthralled in the moment, simply listening to the speech and looking at all of the people standing around them. She also said that she believes people will look back on Obama’s inauguration with many of the same emotions that they looked back on King’s speech with.
On a summer evening, King spoke before a crowd of over 250,000 people who had taken part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King delivered his 11-minute speech to supporters of desegregation. His speech was instrumental in mobilizing Americans, leading to the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, under the Kennedy Administration.
Forty-six years later, although the crowd size and security forces were greatly enlarged, the inauguration drew a similar throng looking for change. “There’s a definite link,” said Iszkowski, explaining the relationship between the two momentous events.
Iszkowski, born in France, has lived in Arlington for 40 years. She was barely 22 when she saw King speak. “I walked across Memorial Bridge. It seems like a very normal, logical thing to do, but at that time, things were not so obvious to everybody, including my mother. So, it was sort of a brave thing for a young girl to do.”
Although Iszkowski stood adjacent to the Washington Monument during the inauguration, 6,336 feet from the Capitol steps, she was in high spirits. “He [Obama] is an extraordinary human being. I’m very happy to be here.”
“This is a very exciting moment,” said Greta Morris of Arlington, a friend of Iszkowski’s. With wide eyes and a huge smile, Morris emitted a similar energy at the Washington Monument. She explained that she was attending her first inauguration because she has supported Obama since she saw him speak at the Democratic Convention in 2004.
“I said, ‘This man should be president of the United States,’ and I’ve been very excited throughout the campaign and thrilled that he won,” said Morris. A California native, Morris has always watched inaugurations on television and was excited to finally hear an inaugural address in person. Pleased with how polite everyone was, Morris noted the optimism of the crowd. “People of course seem to be in such a great mood, very happy, and very excited,” she said.
Chuck Hogeboom of Fairfax County attended Ronald Reagan’s first inauguration and many others. He, too, had an upbeat tone about Obama’s inauguration. “It’s always been a pretty exciting day.” Despite the freezing temperature, he even noted that the weather was “pretty good here today,” compared to some past inaugurations he has attended.
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