WASHINGTON, Jan 19: Barack Obama on Monday paid homage to the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, vowing to revive the spirit of sacrifice to overcome war and economic crisis during his upcoming presidency.
Mr Obama’s inauguration — he takes oath on Tuesday as America’s first non-white president — follows the Martin Luther King Day, which was observed across the United States on Monday.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character,” Rev. King had declared while addressing a divided nation from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Aug 28, 1963.
“Directly in front of us is a pool that still reflects the dream of a King, and the glory of a people who marched and bled so that their children might be judged by their character’s content,” said Mr Obama while addressing his inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial.
“And behind me, watching over the union he saved, sits the man who in so many ways made this day possible,” said the president-elect, referring to President Abraham Lincoln who abolished slavery.
“As I stand here today, what gives me the greatest hope of all is not the stone and marble that surrounds us today, but what fills the spaces in between. It is you — Americans of every race and region and station who came here,” he added.
Billions across the world will watch Mr Obama on their TV sets as he takes oath.
The ceremony begins around 10am with music from the Marine Band, the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
Dianne Feinstein, a congresswoman from California, will issue the call to order and make brief welcoming remarks before making way for Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.
After a song by Aretha Franklin, who also sang at President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, Joe Biden will be sworn in as vice-president by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
Then Mr Obama and John Roberts, the Supreme Court’s chief justice, will take centre stage. The swearing-in duties will be Justice Roberts’ first, making him the 14th chief justice to swear in a president.
Mr Obama, placing his hand on Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural Bible, will recite the same oath as his 43 predecessors: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”