By Janet A. Sanderson
United States Ambassador to Haiti
WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, January 20, the term of President George W. Bush ends, and our President-elect, Barack Obama, will take the oath of office. Americans will celebrate our long tradition of peaceful transition, a cornerstone of American democracy. It will be a day to soberly reflect on what it means to be a nation, and also enjoy our sense of community. It is a day to dedicate ourselves anew to our country and to its ideals.
There is another very important date both President Bush and President-elect Obama will mark: On Monday, January 19, all of America will commemorate the life and legacy of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King, tragically murdered in 1968, was a Nobel Peace laureate, a political organizer and advocate of nonviolent protest. Dr. King, more than any other American, has been credited with persuading his fellow Americans to end segregation of the races in America, and to commit to racial equality. Dr. King once said: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’… I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will be judged not by he color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
For many Americans, the 2009 presidential inauguration is a culmination of that dream. It has been a long journey since the day Reverend King spoke these words in 1963. It has been longer still since President Abraham Lincoln – delivering his second inaugural address in 1865, three months before his own assassination — called on the United States to heal the wounds of slavery and of civil war. It took immense sacrifice and love of country on the part of many thousands of people to reach this day. Even as we must recognize racism still exists in America and more work lies ahead, the swearing-in of President Barack Obama means that, as Secretary of State Rice put it, “The United States is what it says it is.” For many, it will be a moment of singular beauty, of deep emotion and of meaning beyond the power of words to truly express.
However, as our President-elect and many others have said, this isn’t about one man, one party or any one part of America.
Over the last 14 years, Martin Luther King has also become a day of national service, and a call to revitalize our local communities. All across America next Monday, Americans will be called on to volunteer – on that day and throughout the year – to fight injustice, poverty, homelessness and illiteracy. They will be called on to work together to meet our collective needs: To care for the environment. To conserve energy, and continue to finding new, clean ways to generate the energy we need. To make sure health care and other vital services reach those who need them. It will be about caring for one another, beginning with your neighbor next door, but extending in ever broader circles to include your city, your state, your nation and your friends throughout the world.
Every single American – young, old, conservative, liberal, black, white, rich or poor – has a part to play. President-elect Obama expresses our shared optimism and our resolve in this way: “We are one people. We are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America’s history.” In the same way the earth’s heat and pressure make diamonds out of common coal, Americans have always reached their greatest heights in times of great difficulty. President Bush has said: “I’ve been witness to the character of the people of America, who have shown calm in times of danger, compassion for one another, and toughness for the long haul.”
To our friends around the world – and especially in Haiti — we say: Pray with us, and for us. Celebrate with us. The American people remain strong, and remain by Haiti’s side.
