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It’s official. Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States and the first African-American to do so.
Witnessing all of the hoopla among the roughly two million people to crowd the National Mall Tuesday was Saadiq Jones of Broad and Reed streets.
"This is a great opportunity and anyone would jump at the chance to see it," he said Friday prior to departing for the ceremonies the following day. "I will be witnessing history in the making. I will be very honored to tell my kids 30 years from now that I was at the inauguration of the first African-American president."
Nominated by his former social studies teacher, Sue Marcelis, the Annunciation B.V.M. student attended the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in the spring, where he was informed he would be going to the inauguration. While he traveled to Washington, D.C., by himself, he was reunited with friends from the conference for a week of inauguration-related events.
But Friday, the student body at 11th and Wharton streets — 200 strong and sporting red, white and blue while waving American flags — crowded into the auditorium to send him off in style. They not only supported Jones with their cheers, but by raising money during a Dress Down Day that equaled $200 for his trip.
Before dedicating cheers and songs to the seventh-grader, each grade wrote letters and cards to President Obama and a representative from each grade presented them to Jones including his sister, Sadiyah Sabir, 4. His mother, Blinda Person, stepfather Tariq Sabir, as well as grandparents and a cousin, joined him at the pep rally too.
"For Saadiq, I’m excited because this is something historic," Person said. "Maybe in the future he’ll be the next African-American president."
While Jones is unsure of his future plans, he understands the tasks Obama must tackle.
"I think right now he needs to be focusing on the economy because even if we win the war, our economy is messed up and will be weakened by the second," he said.
While Jones rode the Amtrak to witness history, many others watched Obama being sworn-in from their classrooms.
At the Academy of Palumbo, 11th and Catharine streets, about 350 high school pupils congregated in the auditorium where Brandon Alston, student government class president, commented on the historical meaning of the day and how far African-Americans have come prior to the string ensemble and band playing "American Landscapes" and "Hail to the Chief." There were some technical difficulties with the live Internet stream, but the staff blared a radio through the PA system while everyone scrambled to regain the video stream.
"We’re finding out that there’s a big traffic jam," Principal Dr. Adrienne Wallace Chew said of the online problems.
Still, the event warranted the extra effort, she said.
"This is one of the most historic events in my lifetime and I’m sure it is one for [the students]," she added.
In the week prior to the ceremonies, lessons included past presidents, the civil rights movement, as well as the challenges and accomplishments along the way, social studies teacher Ken Martin said.
"Students were very engaged when looking at the history and applying it to the historic event of today," Martin said.
For many, this was the first time they watched the inauguration of a president.
"Well, I’ve never watched an inauguration because I guess it’s never been a big deal," Maria Bonfiglio, 17, said before the festivities.
Looking forward to Obama’s speech, the resident of Sixth and Federal streets was not disappointed.
"He’s a really good speaker," she said. "You don’t get bored listening to him talk."
Nandi Fickling, 16, thinks his priorities should be the war and the economy, but was overwhelmed by it all.
"I’m just shocked," the resident of Third and Manton streets said. "I don’t believe we have a black president."
"I thought it was really cool and inspiring," Charles Silva, 15, of Ninth and Mifflin streets added. "He’s really open-minded toward the world. I think he will be a good president. There’s a lot of things he has to accomplish, especially in these times."
At South Philadelphia High, Broad Street and Snyder Avenue, students had access to a television to watch the ceremonies live, Principal Alice Heller said.
"Too often we share historic moments that are negative," she said. "It was such a joy to enable everyone in this building to share such an unifying, special moment."
While the school had only eight working TVs two weeks ago, Heller had a plan in case the live streams failed by repairing all of the televisions with 45 operating Tuesday. The students’ schedules also were rearranged to accommodate the noon inauguration.
"I wasn’t there [in D.C.], but to be that close to greatness is the greatest feeling in the world," Kareem Mitchell, 17, from 24th and Moore streets, said of watching the event live.
A new tradition has started in that now someone other than a caucasian male can be president, Tashima Hoskins, 19, said.
"We can have a black president and changes can start to be made," the resident from 22nd and Morris streets said. "We can all be equal now."
Obama has inspired a whole new generation, including Mitchell.
"Today was a day that I, as an African-American, can exceed the expectation that society held," he said.
