By Douglas Graves © 2009
High spirits and hope for the future filled the crowd as the Star of Bethlehem aligned with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision from the mountain top and coincided with the next day’s inauguration of the 44th president, Barack Obama, and his vision for change in the way that America does business.
About 150 people crammed into Sayre Hall at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity on Wyandotte Street in Bethlehem on Monday, Jan. 19 to commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The hosting clergy had to scramble, bringing more chairs into the large room to accommodate the more than expected number of attendees.
Master of Ceremony duties were ably done by Liberty High School student and student leader Stephen Font-Toomer. He was there, he said, “To honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—he was so great. No one stepped up to the plate to do what he did.”
Sponsored by the Bethlehem Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), the event featured dances by two youth groups and a chorale performance by the Lepoco Peace Singers. Aspiring opera singer Krizia Nelson, a Freedom High School senior and the Show Case Choir president gave good evidence of her bright future by singing a solo to entertain the room. Nelson, the daughter of Carl and Millie Nelson, hopes to attend the Oberlin Conservatory for Music in Ohio.
“Martin Luther King was inspirational; not just to me, to all people,” said Nelson. “It’s all a chain reaction. Martin Luther King opened up doors for change and non-violence.
A troupe led by Liberty High School ninth grader Yasmine Dowdell performed a step dance to everyone’s delight. The Wings For Life dancers also entertained.
However, the festive mood changed when the guest speakers began to access racial justice in America.
“We are all enamored with the results of the election and with Barack Obama,” said Stephanie Hnatiw, the Executive Director of the YWCA. “But I think one consequence of the Obama victory is that Americans who are not black will figure racism and its legacy has finally been defeated.” This would be wrong according to Hnatiw.
“Our work isn’t done,” she said. We still have a very, very long way to go.”
The YWCA director then gave some statistics to illustrate her point: Medium income for a black household is $25,000 while for a white household its $40,477; high school graduation rates—80 percent for whites, 60 percent for blacks; the chances of going to prison—16.2 percent for a black person but 2.8 percent for a white; black men in college in 2000—603,032 were outnumbered by black men in prison—791,600. Hnatiw provide additional evidence illustrating the racial disparity in other areas such as health, drug abuse and housing.
“We can’t stop now,” she said. “We have to continue the struggle. Racial justice will be here when there is no disparity among the races.”
Bethlehem Area School District executives Dr. Joseph Lewis and Thomas Washington had front row seats at the event so heavily attended by Liberty High School students and alumni. Among the students present was Liberty High School’s tenth grade class president, Kevin Peterman who, wearing a necktie under an Obama tee-shirt, had just returned from Martin Luther King Park where he had given a speech.
When Liberty High School alumnus Dr. Ernest H. Smith, a retired medical doctor now living in Los Angeles, spoke he reminded the audience of Bethlehem’s long history of racial tolerance. He said he had been in the Liberty High School marching band when it was invited to President Harry Truman’s inaugural parade in 1949. “It was the only integrated unit marching in the parade,” he said. He related how, on orders from the Secret Service, he and his brother were moved from the ends of the ranks they were in and placed in the middle so that potential racists in the crowd would not be able to attack them easily.
[It was an Executive Order by President Truman in 1948 that directed the Armed Forces and the Civil Service to integrate. As a result, his popularity was so low that most observers thought it would cost him re-election.]
While Martin Luther King “had a dream,” Dr. Smith recalled that the Civil War-era heroine, Harriet Tubman, also “had a dream.” [Tubman, born a slave in Maryland, had escaped. She took on the mission to rescue other slaves from bondage, making 13 trips and rescuing over 70 slaves.]
Dr. Smith, while sharing in the general euphoria of the moment, had a cautionary view of the meaning of Obama’s election.
Dr. Smith reminded the audience that while the ancestors of African-Americans came to this country involuntarily, dragged in the chains of slavery, Barack Obama who he describes as an American-African, was born in the United States of a father who came voluntarily as a free man.
“If you don’t have that root of slavery, you can’t claim to be an African-American,” he said. “Americans can’t think that because Obama is the president that the issue of African-American slavery is solved because it is not. The issue is still on the table.”
He said that African-Americans were emancipated by war and law; that Barack Obama cannot carry that baggage for them.
Dr. Smith also compared the reparations that interned Japanese-Americans got with the “40 acres and a mule” that he said some Union generals thought freed slaves should have been awarded but were not. [“The (United States’) redress program made $20,000 payments to 82,210 Japanese Americans or their heirs,” according to Democracy Now.]
The celebration wrapped up with the crowd joining hands in small groups and singing the civil rights hymn, “We Shall Overcome,” ending with the line, “ . . . oh deep in my heart, I do believe, the Lord will see us through some day.”
Saturday, January 31, 2009
'We Need to Tell the Marine Story’
By Douglas Graves © 2009
Orginally published Semper Fi Magazine Jan/Feb 2009
Meeting the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps in his Pentagon office made it clear that enlisted Marines, the staff non-commissioned officer and the non-commissioned officer corps of the Marine Corps have a superlative representative standing next to the Commandant. When Sergeant Major Carlton Kent spoke with Semper Fi Magazine in November, the 16th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps discussed a wide range of issues but the conversation had a recurring theme: Kent has very high opinions of his Marines, Staff NCOs and NCOs—and high expectations from them.
“The Commandant [General James T. Conway] did a great thing recently,” he said. “The Marine Corps was the first service to nominate staff non-commissioned officers to the congressional fellowship program. No other service has put an enlisted service member up for the fellows program.”
The program assigns some of the country’s best and brightest service men and women (up until now, officers only) to serve on the staffs of U. S. Senators and Representatives.
“We had eighty-some nominations,” he said. “Eighty per cent of those Staff NCOs had college degrees.”
The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is very proud of the two senior enlisted Marines selected for the program; his pride and enthusiasm for the enlisted leadership of the whole Corps was evident.
He first experienced the Marine Corps’ staff non-commissioned officer leadership as a student and athlete at South Side High School in Memphis, Tennessee. “Gunnery Sergeant Bill Adams always had a story to tell,” said Kent about his recruiter. “He walked around talking to everybody. He was a very impressive guy.”
It was the gunny’s “hip-pocket” stories that first got Carlton Kent to consider the Marine Corps. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in November1975.
Boot camp was also Kent’s first opportunity to shine as a leader. He was a squad leader in his Parris Island recruit platoon. Recruits don’t get a squad leader’s job by just standing around doing enough to get by—they are selected by drill instructors for their leadership potential revealed by the high intensity demands and stresses of recruit training. The next time he was in a recruit training regiment (in San Diego) as a staff sergeant drill instructor, he was meritoriously promoted to gunnery sergeant.
However, at end of his first enlistment, Kent, then in Hawaii, was considering whether to stay in the Marines or to get out and go to college. “A gunnery sergeant knew I was thinking of getting out,” said Kent. “He said, ‘Let me tell you some of your options. You can go and do other great things in the Marine Corps.’
“He also told me that the grass is not always greener on the other side—and it’s not,” said Kent. “From that day on I knew my place was in the Marine Corps because there’s nothing like the Marine Corps family—the common bond we all have.
“The Staff NCOs and NCOs have to be positive examples. Their Marines are going to listen to them,” said Kent about the role of the enlisted leaders. “They have to talk to their young Marines.”
He sees the work of the enlisted leaders as being key to the Corps’ re-enlistment rate. “We have a combat-hardened Staff NCO and NCO corps. When they talk to their Marines and tell them their options we have Marines re-enlisting at a high rate,” said Kent.
“The majority who re-enlist want to stay in the operating forces. We have to make sure we give them a break, however, and not constantly have them in a deployment cycle. They have to be well-rounded in the Marine Corps.”
Asked for an example of the success of the Corps’ retention program, Kent talked about 2/5.
“Second Battalion, Fifth Marines [5th Marine Regiment] was getting ready to re-deploy,” said Kent. “Two hundred Marines volunteered to extend past their EAS [expiration date of active service] and go back to Iraq with their unit and fight. That’s one of many positive examples of the outlook that the Marine Corps has today.”
However, Sergeant Major Kent sees the need to look past Iraq. “We’ve been focused on Iraq. That was our initial focus—to get over there and kick some butt; however, we have lost some of our corps competencies; for example, jungle training and amphibious operations. We use our Navy brothers and sisters to get us there—and they fight with us, but the average young Marine has not even been on a ship. We haven’t had Marines going to Bridgeport [California--for cold weather training] like we used to do. We need to do combined arms exercises at 29 Palms. We haven’t done those in several years. We need to get back our corps competencies. That’s what the Commandant is doing and Marines are excited about it.”
Sergeant Major Kent is proud of what his Marines have accomplished in Iraq, but shares the Commandant’s concept of focusing greater effort in Afghanistan.
“All those places [Ramadi, Al Anbar, and Fallujah] used to be [scenes of] bloody, bloody battles. They are very good right now. And now the Iraqi people want to take back control of their country.
“The Marines have done a great job of crushing the insurgency,” said Kent.
“The Commandant said we need to focus more on Afghanistan,” said the Sergeant Major. If you talk to the average Marine in Iraq they will tell you they are bored. They say, ‘We don’t have any bad guys to kill.’
“We have Marines in Afghanistan and it’s very austere. There’s nothing out there. We don’t need a big PX, mess halls, Burger Kings and Popeyes,” said Kent. “We are an expeditionary force. The Marines are taking it to the enemy over in Afghanistan.
“We [Sergeant Major Kent and Commandant General Conway] went to visit these Marines [in Afghanistan]. The Commandant asked, ‘What do you need?’ They just smiled. They were ankle deep in dust, they were sleeping on MRE boxes and they said ‘Nothing, sir. We’re just happy because we can go and engage the enemy all the time.’ And that’s the kind of attitude our Marines have, said Kent. “That’s why the Commandant says ‘It’s our type of fight’—it really is.”
Are Marines up to the highly technical equipment that is being fielded? “We are constantly training; we trust the commanders [to get the training done]. We have new equipment throughout the Marine Corps,” he said.
The quality of recruits is fine according to the Sergeant Major. “Our recruiters go after high standards They don’t go after sub-standard recruits. We don’t have any issues with the education level of people coming in. The Commandant and I just have to tell the Marine Corps’ story.”
When asked to describe the value of the Marine Corps’ martial arts program, the Sergeant Major quickly made the point that it is not just all about hand-to-hand combat.
“It actually works because these Marines have used these techniques in combat. It’s not just the physical part—it’s where we teach important corps values: honor, courage and commitment. But yes, it does work; Marines have proven that it works. It builds a lot of confidence in Marines.”
How does some of the battles fought in Iraq stack up against such icons of Marine Corps history as Belleau Woods, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir and Hue City?
“I think Fallujah is up there,” said the Sergeant Major. “I witnessed what those Marines were doing there. It was heroic.
“Marines don’t want to let down the Marines who came before them. They are going to continue to live up to the legacy. They fight for their country and their fellow Marines. And they take pride in that.”
The Sergeant Major believes that the Corps’ young heroes are getting their share of recognition. As the sergeant major of the Marine Forces at Central Command he was on the board that reviewed combat citations for Marines. “I can tell you that the Marine Corps has the most fair [awards approval] process of any of the services.
“The first thing that should go through a Marine’s mind when he sees someone wearing an award is, ‘That Marine earned it.’ More young Marines are getting combat V’s [a device affixed to a medal’s ribbon denoting valor] because they are the ones out there hooking and jabbing.
“Corporal Jason Dunham is the only Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor,” said the Sergeant Major. “But I could go down a list: Navy Crosses, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, Navy Commendation and Navy Achievement medals with Combat V’s, Purple Hearts . . .
“One example of [valorous conduct] is a corporal that died protecting his fellow Marines,” said Sergeant Major Kent. “His convoy was hit by an IED [improvised explosive device] and he was trapped—he was burning. When Marines tried to rescue him he yelled, ‘You all get away from the vehicle! It’s going to explode!’ He didn’t survive, but he was thinking of his Marines, not himself. His comrades continued to try to get him out, to no avail.”
He told another story of a brave lance corporal who died laying down a base of fire while urging his fellow Marines to evacuate a building in Fallujah. Sergeant Major Kent’s voice resonates with pride as he tells his stories about individual Marines.
How are their families holding up?
“One of the things that the Commandant has done is to improve the Family Readiness Program by hiring Family Readiness Officers instead of relying on volunteers from military spouses. It’s a great program that the Commandant kicked off to assist our families.”
What can the Marine Corps League do to help?
“The Marine Corps League is one of our biggest fans, they really are. We love them,” said Kent. “They are part of our legacy.
“They can assist by continuing to tell the Marine Corps story. That would be a great thing that would attract a lot of people as far as recruiting.
“They are involved with the Marine-for-Life program—helping Marines find employment. They are a great network and they assist our Corps with numerous things like the Toys-For-Tots program. They are truly part of the ‘Once a Marine, Always a Marine’ tradition. Their [former Marines’] legacy will be continued by the great Marines we have in our Corps today.”
Sergeant Major Kent concluded on a personal note, “It’s an honor for me to serve as Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.”
Orginally published Semper Fi Magazine Jan/Feb 2009
Meeting the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps in his Pentagon office made it clear that enlisted Marines, the staff non-commissioned officer and the non-commissioned officer corps of the Marine Corps have a superlative representative standing next to the Commandant. When Sergeant Major Carlton Kent spoke with Semper Fi Magazine in November, the 16th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps discussed a wide range of issues but the conversation had a recurring theme: Kent has very high opinions of his Marines, Staff NCOs and NCOs—and high expectations from them.
“The Commandant [General James T. Conway] did a great thing recently,” he said. “The Marine Corps was the first service to nominate staff non-commissioned officers to the congressional fellowship program. No other service has put an enlisted service member up for the fellows program.”
The program assigns some of the country’s best and brightest service men and women (up until now, officers only) to serve on the staffs of U. S. Senators and Representatives.
“We had eighty-some nominations,” he said. “Eighty per cent of those Staff NCOs had college degrees.”
The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is very proud of the two senior enlisted Marines selected for the program; his pride and enthusiasm for the enlisted leadership of the whole Corps was evident.
He first experienced the Marine Corps’ staff non-commissioned officer leadership as a student and athlete at South Side High School in Memphis, Tennessee. “Gunnery Sergeant Bill Adams always had a story to tell,” said Kent about his recruiter. “He walked around talking to everybody. He was a very impressive guy.”
It was the gunny’s “hip-pocket” stories that first got Carlton Kent to consider the Marine Corps. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in November1975.
Boot camp was also Kent’s first opportunity to shine as a leader. He was a squad leader in his Parris Island recruit platoon. Recruits don’t get a squad leader’s job by just standing around doing enough to get by—they are selected by drill instructors for their leadership potential revealed by the high intensity demands and stresses of recruit training. The next time he was in a recruit training regiment (in San Diego) as a staff sergeant drill instructor, he was meritoriously promoted to gunnery sergeant.
However, at end of his first enlistment, Kent, then in Hawaii, was considering whether to stay in the Marines or to get out and go to college. “A gunnery sergeant knew I was thinking of getting out,” said Kent. “He said, ‘Let me tell you some of your options. You can go and do other great things in the Marine Corps.’
“He also told me that the grass is not always greener on the other side—and it’s not,” said Kent. “From that day on I knew my place was in the Marine Corps because there’s nothing like the Marine Corps family—the common bond we all have.
“The Staff NCOs and NCOs have to be positive examples. Their Marines are going to listen to them,” said Kent about the role of the enlisted leaders. “They have to talk to their young Marines.”
He sees the work of the enlisted leaders as being key to the Corps’ re-enlistment rate. “We have a combat-hardened Staff NCO and NCO corps. When they talk to their Marines and tell them their options we have Marines re-enlisting at a high rate,” said Kent.
“The majority who re-enlist want to stay in the operating forces. We have to make sure we give them a break, however, and not constantly have them in a deployment cycle. They have to be well-rounded in the Marine Corps.”
Asked for an example of the success of the Corps’ retention program, Kent talked about 2/5.
“Second Battalion, Fifth Marines [5th Marine Regiment] was getting ready to re-deploy,” said Kent. “Two hundred Marines volunteered to extend past their EAS [expiration date of active service] and go back to Iraq with their unit and fight. That’s one of many positive examples of the outlook that the Marine Corps has today.”
However, Sergeant Major Kent sees the need to look past Iraq. “We’ve been focused on Iraq. That was our initial focus—to get over there and kick some butt; however, we have lost some of our corps competencies; for example, jungle training and amphibious operations. We use our Navy brothers and sisters to get us there—and they fight with us, but the average young Marine has not even been on a ship. We haven’t had Marines going to Bridgeport [California--for cold weather training] like we used to do. We need to do combined arms exercises at 29 Palms. We haven’t done those in several years. We need to get back our corps competencies. That’s what the Commandant is doing and Marines are excited about it.”
Sergeant Major Kent is proud of what his Marines have accomplished in Iraq, but shares the Commandant’s concept of focusing greater effort in Afghanistan.
“All those places [Ramadi, Al Anbar, and Fallujah] used to be [scenes of] bloody, bloody battles. They are very good right now. And now the Iraqi people want to take back control of their country.
“The Marines have done a great job of crushing the insurgency,” said Kent.
“The Commandant said we need to focus more on Afghanistan,” said the Sergeant Major. If you talk to the average Marine in Iraq they will tell you they are bored. They say, ‘We don’t have any bad guys to kill.’
“We have Marines in Afghanistan and it’s very austere. There’s nothing out there. We don’t need a big PX, mess halls, Burger Kings and Popeyes,” said Kent. “We are an expeditionary force. The Marines are taking it to the enemy over in Afghanistan.
“We [Sergeant Major Kent and Commandant General Conway] went to visit these Marines [in Afghanistan]. The Commandant asked, ‘What do you need?’ They just smiled. They were ankle deep in dust, they were sleeping on MRE boxes and they said ‘Nothing, sir. We’re just happy because we can go and engage the enemy all the time.’ And that’s the kind of attitude our Marines have, said Kent. “That’s why the Commandant says ‘It’s our type of fight’—it really is.”
Are Marines up to the highly technical equipment that is being fielded? “We are constantly training; we trust the commanders [to get the training done]. We have new equipment throughout the Marine Corps,” he said.
The quality of recruits is fine according to the Sergeant Major. “Our recruiters go after high standards They don’t go after sub-standard recruits. We don’t have any issues with the education level of people coming in. The Commandant and I just have to tell the Marine Corps’ story.”
When asked to describe the value of the Marine Corps’ martial arts program, the Sergeant Major quickly made the point that it is not just all about hand-to-hand combat.
“It actually works because these Marines have used these techniques in combat. It’s not just the physical part—it’s where we teach important corps values: honor, courage and commitment. But yes, it does work; Marines have proven that it works. It builds a lot of confidence in Marines.”
How does some of the battles fought in Iraq stack up against such icons of Marine Corps history as Belleau Woods, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir and Hue City?
“I think Fallujah is up there,” said the Sergeant Major. “I witnessed what those Marines were doing there. It was heroic.
“Marines don’t want to let down the Marines who came before them. They are going to continue to live up to the legacy. They fight for their country and their fellow Marines. And they take pride in that.”
The Sergeant Major believes that the Corps’ young heroes are getting their share of recognition. As the sergeant major of the Marine Forces at Central Command he was on the board that reviewed combat citations for Marines. “I can tell you that the Marine Corps has the most fair [awards approval] process of any of the services.
“The first thing that should go through a Marine’s mind when he sees someone wearing an award is, ‘That Marine earned it.’ More young Marines are getting combat V’s [a device affixed to a medal’s ribbon denoting valor] because they are the ones out there hooking and jabbing.
“Corporal Jason Dunham is the only Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor,” said the Sergeant Major. “But I could go down a list: Navy Crosses, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, Navy Commendation and Navy Achievement medals with Combat V’s, Purple Hearts . . .
“One example of [valorous conduct] is a corporal that died protecting his fellow Marines,” said Sergeant Major Kent. “His convoy was hit by an IED [improvised explosive device] and he was trapped—he was burning. When Marines tried to rescue him he yelled, ‘You all get away from the vehicle! It’s going to explode!’ He didn’t survive, but he was thinking of his Marines, not himself. His comrades continued to try to get him out, to no avail.”
He told another story of a brave lance corporal who died laying down a base of fire while urging his fellow Marines to evacuate a building in Fallujah. Sergeant Major Kent’s voice resonates with pride as he tells his stories about individual Marines.
How are their families holding up?
“One of the things that the Commandant has done is to improve the Family Readiness Program by hiring Family Readiness Officers instead of relying on volunteers from military spouses. It’s a great program that the Commandant kicked off to assist our families.”
What can the Marine Corps League do to help?
“The Marine Corps League is one of our biggest fans, they really are. We love them,” said Kent. “They are part of our legacy.
“They can assist by continuing to tell the Marine Corps story. That would be a great thing that would attract a lot of people as far as recruiting.
“They are involved with the Marine-for-Life program—helping Marines find employment. They are a great network and they assist our Corps with numerous things like the Toys-For-Tots program. They are truly part of the ‘Once a Marine, Always a Marine’ tradition. Their [former Marines’] legacy will be continued by the great Marines we have in our Corps today.”
Sergeant Major Kent concluded on a personal note, “It’s an honor for me to serve as Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.”
“Happy Obama Day!”
By Douglas Graves © 2009
“Happy Obama Day!” shouted Bethlehem Township’s Brenda M. Brown to some friends as they entered the Bethlehem Room at the Comfort Suites on 3rd Street.
The Bethlehem Chapter of the National Association of Colored People’s (NAACP) post-inauguration party in honor of President Barack Obama’s meteoric ascension to the office of President of the United States was like a close family getting together with a few community friends. Pride and maybe some surprise mixed with elation defined the mood of the group.
Kids were invited, some as young as three or four. Several teenagers were in the crowd of about 55 people. “We kept it non-alcoholic because we wanted to include children so they could understand the meaning of today,” said Cordelia Miller, the First Vice President of the Bethlehem NAACP. “This is totally new beginning for this country. We, as a black community, are celebrating with the world today.”
Seven-year old Nyah Best, a second grader at Thomas Jefferson Elementary, had her own take on things. “It’s Barack Obama’s birthday,” she said, prompting some help from her mother, Shakima Dowdell. After a consultation with her mom, Nyah added, “He held his hand up and they told him to say something and then he was the president.”
She was perfectly clear about what she wants to be when she grows up: “I want to be a nurse, like my aunt.”
Her sister, Yasmin Dowdell, a ninth grader at Liberty High School, when asked how she felt about the inauguration said, “I’m very happy and surprised be born into a time when history is being made. It was almost as if Martin Luther King was on TV speaking this afternoon.”
Laura Lawrence, the treasurer of the Bethlehem NAACP, was more emphatic. “This is the best day that this country ever had,” she said. “We are making a sea-change: this the first day of our maturity. He said every thing I wanted him to say—including to ‘nurture your children.’”
As the room filled up, the band, On Fire, played the Bill Wither’s song It’s a Lovely Day while adding the refrain, “Obama, Obama, Obama . . .” The room started to warm up. Then a man, an impromptu cheer leader, shouted “Give me an O! Give me a B!” Soon the crowd was shouting along and getting excited while on a television in the background played footage of the new president and his family.
“Obama came from a varied background that qualified him for president,” said Esther Lee, president of the Bethlehem NAACP. “Dr. Martin Luther King led the way so that anyone coming behind can succeed.” Lee gave credit to higher powers. “God in his divine providence determines what we will or won’t do.”
Lee also gave credit to Obama’s mother and grandparents: “His mother prepared him for the task; his grandparents raised him.”
Lee is a former board member of the Bethlehem Area School District and former president of the Parent-Teacher’s Association.
Lieutenant Colonel Jerome Hatfield of the New Jersey State Police, wearing civilian clothes, celebrated Obama’s inauguration with family. The big former Grenadier is a 1977 graduate of Liberty High School. When asked what Obama's inauguration means to him, he said, "It represents an opportunity for change. In looking at the National Mall during the inauguration, it truly represented the melting pot of America. This occasion instills the hope and faith necessary to move this country forward. Hopefully, other countries will be inspired at this administration's outward ability to recognize and respect differences amongst people. I hope that the results would lend itself to greater peace in our world.”
The officers and matrons of the association had come early to fill up long tables with sandwiches, snacks, and cold drinks for the celebratory, yet reflective crowd.
Lincoln Elementary School principal Benita Draper-Terry arrived to join the festivities. “I’m here to celebrate the election of President Obama,” she said. “I was telling my students today that it was just 45 years ago that Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech from the Lincoln Memorial.
“Another part of his dream has been realized today,” said Draper-Terry. “I think the whole campaign has been remarkable. It’s one country—we have to work together. As Barack Obama has said, it's not about him, it's about the people coming together to make this a better nation."
“Happy Obama Day!” shouted Bethlehem Township’s Brenda M. Brown to some friends as they entered the Bethlehem Room at the Comfort Suites on 3rd Street.
The Bethlehem Chapter of the National Association of Colored People’s (NAACP) post-inauguration party in honor of President Barack Obama’s meteoric ascension to the office of President of the United States was like a close family getting together with a few community friends. Pride and maybe some surprise mixed with elation defined the mood of the group.
Kids were invited, some as young as three or four. Several teenagers were in the crowd of about 55 people. “We kept it non-alcoholic because we wanted to include children so they could understand the meaning of today,” said Cordelia Miller, the First Vice President of the Bethlehem NAACP. “This is totally new beginning for this country. We, as a black community, are celebrating with the world today.”
Seven-year old Nyah Best, a second grader at Thomas Jefferson Elementary, had her own take on things. “It’s Barack Obama’s birthday,” she said, prompting some help from her mother, Shakima Dowdell. After a consultation with her mom, Nyah added, “He held his hand up and they told him to say something and then he was the president.”
She was perfectly clear about what she wants to be when she grows up: “I want to be a nurse, like my aunt.”
Her sister, Yasmin Dowdell, a ninth grader at Liberty High School, when asked how she felt about the inauguration said, “I’m very happy and surprised be born into a time when history is being made. It was almost as if Martin Luther King was on TV speaking this afternoon.”
Laura Lawrence, the treasurer of the Bethlehem NAACP, was more emphatic. “This is the best day that this country ever had,” she said. “We are making a sea-change: this the first day of our maturity. He said every thing I wanted him to say—including to ‘nurture your children.’”
As the room filled up, the band, On Fire, played the Bill Wither’s song It’s a Lovely Day while adding the refrain, “Obama, Obama, Obama . . .” The room started to warm up. Then a man, an impromptu cheer leader, shouted “Give me an O! Give me a B!” Soon the crowd was shouting along and getting excited while on a television in the background played footage of the new president and his family.
“Obama came from a varied background that qualified him for president,” said Esther Lee, president of the Bethlehem NAACP. “Dr. Martin Luther King led the way so that anyone coming behind can succeed.” Lee gave credit to higher powers. “God in his divine providence determines what we will or won’t do.”
Lee also gave credit to Obama’s mother and grandparents: “His mother prepared him for the task; his grandparents raised him.”
Lee is a former board member of the Bethlehem Area School District and former president of the Parent-Teacher’s Association.
Lieutenant Colonel Jerome Hatfield of the New Jersey State Police, wearing civilian clothes, celebrated Obama’s inauguration with family. The big former Grenadier is a 1977 graduate of Liberty High School. When asked what Obama's inauguration means to him, he said, "It represents an opportunity for change. In looking at the National Mall during the inauguration, it truly represented the melting pot of America. This occasion instills the hope and faith necessary to move this country forward. Hopefully, other countries will be inspired at this administration's outward ability to recognize and respect differences amongst people. I hope that the results would lend itself to greater peace in our world.”
The officers and matrons of the association had come early to fill up long tables with sandwiches, snacks, and cold drinks for the celebratory, yet reflective crowd.
Lincoln Elementary School principal Benita Draper-Terry arrived to join the festivities. “I’m here to celebrate the election of President Obama,” she said. “I was telling my students today that it was just 45 years ago that Dr. Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech from the Lincoln Memorial.
“Another part of his dream has been realized today,” said Draper-Terry. “I think the whole campaign has been remarkable. It’s one country—we have to work together. As Barack Obama has said, it's not about him, it's about the people coming together to make this a better nation."
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