Obama's Diverse 2009 Inauguration Sparked Hope for a United America, But Racial Divisions Have Since Deepened
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On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the first Black president of the United States in front of over 1 million people, sparking euphoria and hopes of a more united America.
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Poet Elizabeth Alexander, who spoke at the inauguration, recalls the crowd as "hugely multicultural" and spanning "across ages, colors," seeming to validate Obama's vision of America's diversity as its strength.
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However, many now question if that vision was a mirage, as racial and political divisions have since deepened, culminating in the January 6th Capitol attack seeking to overturn the 2020 election.
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While Obama campaigned on "hope," some argue "fear" is more politically potent, with replacement theory and doubts about diversity gaining traction on both left and right.
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Nonetheless, some inaugural attendees still believe in and navigate towards Obama's vision, seeing it not as a fluke but a glimpse of America’s complex possibility.