Tuesday, January 20, 2009

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Headlines

  • Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop Eugene Robinson Silenced on HBO Broadcast of Lincoln Memorial Inauguration Concert

    Bishop

    While the hundreds of thousands on the National Mall heard Gene Robinson’s opening prayer on Sunday, millions around the country missed it, because HBO did not televise his remarks. Obama’s inaugural committee is apologizing, saying they had intended for Robinson’s remarks to be included in the televised portion of yesterday’s program, and they "regret the error." Robinson had been given the slot after gay advocates protested Obama’s selection of Rick Warren, a leading evangelical opponent of abortion and same-sex marriage, to give the invocation at today’s inauguration. [includes rush transcript]

  • Pete Seeger & Bruce Springsteen Perform Woody Guthrie’s "This Land Is Your Land"

    Seegerbruce

    Sunday’s Lincoln Memorial concert ended with legendary folk singer Pete Seeger singing Woody Guthrie’s song “This Land Is Your Land.” He was joined by Bruce Springsteen and Pete’s grandson Tao Rodriguez-Seeger. They sang the song complete with the rarely performed verse "I came to a sign that said 'Private Property,' but on the other side it didn’t say nothing. That side was made for you and me!" [includes rush transcript]

  • Queen Latifah Remembers African American Singer Marian Anderson at Lincoln Memorial Concert

    Latifah

    At Sunday’s massive concert at the Lincoln Memorial, Queen Latifah introduced the story of contralto Marian Anderson, who was banned by the whites-only Daughters of the American Revolution from performing at DAR Constitution Hall. Anderson got to sing at the Lincoln Memorial with an assist from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. [includes rush transcript]

  • Pulitzer Prize-Winning Writer Alice Walker and Civil Rights Leader Bob Moses Reflect on an Obama Presidency and the Struggle for African Americans to Vote

    Walker_moses

    Bob Moses is one of the leading civil rights icons from the 1960s. He was the former field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC. The New York Times once wrote, "In Mississippi, Bob Moses was the equivalent of Martin Luther King." Moses is also the founder of the Algebra Project, a foundation devoted to improving minority education in math. The author, poet and activist Alice Walker won the 1983 Pulitzer for her book The Color Purple. She has written many other bestselling books, including In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens and Possessing the Secret of Joy. [includes rush transcript]

  • President-elect Barack Obama: "There Is No Obstacle that Can Stand in the Way of Millions of Voices Calling for Change."

    Obama

    On Sunday, a half-a-million people turned out on the National Mall for a star-studded two-hour inaugural event that featured actors Jamie Foxx, Marisa Tomei, Denzel Washington, Queen Latifah, Tom Hanks and many more. There were special performances by Stevie Wonder, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Mary J. Blige and others. Barack Obama was the highlight of the day. He spoke at the climax of the two-hour event. [includes rush transcript]

  • Jesse Holland on How Slaves Built the White House and the US Capitol

    Hollandbk

    Later today, the first African American president in US history, Barack Obama, and wife Michelle and two daughters, Malia and Sasha, will be taking up residence in the White House, a house built by slaves. The Capitol, too, was built by slaves, as was the Supreme Court. Last night, I spoke with Associated Press reporter Jesse Holland. He is author of Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C. [includes rush transcript]

  • Public Citizen: Obama’s Inauguration, Sponsored by the Few, the Wealthy

    Capitol

    Despite Obama’s ban on corporate funding, Public Citizen has found nearly 80 percent of inaugural contributions have been raised by just over 200 wealthy donors, including executives from Citigroup, Lehman Brothers, UBS Americas, Goldman Sachs, Wachovia. [includes rush transcript]