As Jay-Z once said, “my president is black.” Get ready to welcome President Obama back to the White House next weekend for his second term. These inaugural activities will get the patriotism flowing in your veins and make you excited for four more years of Obama-nation.
About 1.8 million people attended the 2009 inauguration. This year's swearing-in ceremony will take place Monday, Jan. 21. Photo courtesy neh.gov.
Inauguration Day Parade
The bleachers will be packed along Pennsylvania Ave Jan. 21 to watch the best parade D.C. has to offer. High school and college marching bands will gather from across the country to perform along the parade route. The president and vice president will lead the procession of military regiments and floats. The parade route opens to the public at 7 a.m. and the parade will begin at 2:30 p.m.
Newseum Exhibit
Every Four Years: Presidential Campaigns and the Press
In honor of campaign season, the Newseum opened a special exhibit. “Every Four Years: Presidential Campaigns and the Press” shows how media usage changed in presidential elections over the last century. The exhibit ends Jan. 27.
Artifacts like John F. Kennedy’s handwritten notes from his presidential debate with Richard Nixon will be on display, along with other items from campaign trails. The exhibit also displays parody artifacts from Saturday Night Live, the Daily Show with John Stewart and the Colbert Report, like the suits Amy Poehler and Tiny Fey wore while impersonating Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton.
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National Service Day
President Obama is asking all Americans to honor Martin Luther King Jr. by participating in a national day of service over the inauguration weekend. A celebration will take place on the mall, with over 100 community service and charity groups setting up tents to encourage participation. Several organizations will work to assist Americans in need such as victims of hurricane Sandy and the families from Newtown, Conn.
The inauguration
While tickets to the inauguration have already been distributed, several jumbo trons set up on the National Mall will show the inauguration Jan. 21. Beyonce will sing the national anthem, Kelly Clarkson will sing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” and James Taylor will sing “America the Beautiful.”
