Above: “Voters are not looking for categories. They’re looking
for results,” said Adrian M. Fenty, the mayor of Washington, a
predominantly black city. Mr. Fenty, like President-elect Barack
Obama, won an election as a more liberal bi-racial candidate who
relied on a populist message. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
NYT
By IAN URBINA
Published: January 2, 2009
WASHINGTON — Presidents come and go from this city. Hosting inaugurations is nothing new. But for residents here, over 92 percent of whom voted for President-elect Barack Obama, his inauguration this month is special.
The day ushers in hopes and expectations for a president who speaks to local residents and brings with it the excitement of a predominantly black city welcoming the nation’s first black president.
With the inauguration scheduled for the day after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, the timing also strikes a chord for a city that was racked by riots after Dr. King’s assassination.
“For D.C., this inauguration is less like hosting a visiting official and more like throwing a homecoming party for a family member,” said Ronald Walters, professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland.
He added that normally, the inauguration is an exclusive black-tie affair. “This time,” he said, “it feels like the city has taken ownership of what is becoming a people’s party.”
At Ben’s Chili Bowl, one of the city’s oldest and most famous restaurants, the inauguration offers a certain historical reconciliation.
“It took about 40 years,” said Kamal Ali, the owner and son of the restaurant’s founder, Ben Ali. “But in terms of race relations, the celebration that day will bring this neighborhood, this city, full circle.”
In April 1968, four days of race riots after the King assassination left 12 people dead here. Huge swaths of what was then called Black Broadway for its concentration of black-owned clubs and theaters were destroyed. Ben’s Chili Bowl was one of the only restaurants along U Street that was not burned or ransacked. Read More.
