Standing in the (40 year) Gap

Like most of the rest of the world, my day came to a halt at 11am this morning as Barack Obama was sworn in as our country's first African American President. Regardless of which side of the political aisle they sit, I don't know of anyone who let today's historic event pass them by without some amount of inner reflection.

A hush fell across the campus as students, staff and faculty gathered aound televisions and computers and I-Phones and Blackberries to bear witness to the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States.

In 1968, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated for daring to articulate a dream. Today, as President Barack Obama crossed the threshhold into history, Dr. King's dream of a united nation echoed across space and time, throughout the land, beyond the reflecting pool and into the eyes and ears and hearts of millions of onlookers. Today, with the world watching and with the wind at his back, Barack Obama proved that hope can overcome fear and unity of purpose can overcome conflict and discord.

A little more than 40 years ago, a man with a vision lost his life articulating a dream that so many of us today take for granted... the right to an education, the right to career advancement, the right to associate freely with others of your choosing.

A mere 8 years old when Dr. King lost his life, Barack Obama having been elected to the highest office in our land, is Dr. King's dream brought to life. Today was a day that many thought would never happen. Today was a day that was a lifetime in the making.

President Obama's inauguration speech was short, a mere 21 minutes, but it was the speech of a lifetime. And in 21 minutes, he closed the gap and opened a new chapter in history.

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