The nation took one more step towards change as over
300,000 people braved frigid temperatures to experience soul and rock
‘n’ roll at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday afternoon. Some of music’s
brightest stars delivered songs of inspiration and hope that coincided
with the theme of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
Crowd favorites included John Legend’s cover of “Shower the People,”
Stevie Wonder’s performance of “Higher Ground,” Mary J. Blige’s
inspirational take of “Lean On Me,” and Beyoncé’s gut-wrenching
performance of “America The Beautiful.” Other special guests included
Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Tiger Woods and Forest Whitaker.
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The
nearly four-hour event, which was televised live on HBO and NPR,
concluded with a speech from President-elect Barack Obama. Despite the
presence of legendary entertainers and statesmen, the crowd reserved
their most boisterous response for Obama as he approached the podium.
“Our
nation is at war, our economy is in crisis,” Obama said as a quarter of
a million people fell silent. “I won’t pretend that meeting any one of
these challenges will be easy. It will take more than a month or a
year, and it will likely take many. Along the way there will be
setbacks and false starts and days that test our resolve as a nation.
But I am as hopeful as ever that our nation will overcome the
challenges that face it and prosper.” –amir shaw
