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A report from Clark Dark’s mom, Blanche Africa Reilly Dark on her experience of Martin Luther King’s Birthday celebration in Daytona Beach, Florida.

I had the pleasure of being in central Florida during the days leading up to the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama. As you know the day before this momentous occasion was the official federal holiday celebration of the birthday the slain civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who would have been eighty years-old.

I was invited by friends to join members of the Daytona Beach community at a breakfast, march and church service sponsored by the good people of the Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church where Father Phil Egitto is the pastor. (more…)

Blanche Africa Reilly Dark continues her report on the King Birthday celebration last week in Daytona Beach, Florida.

We gathered outside the church behind Father Phil and a sanitation truck as we prepared to march to the foot of the Sea Breeze Bridge.  The pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes carried one of the sails from the pulpit to guide the group. The sanitation truck was symbolic of the last crusade Dr. King led for the sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. We marched to the foot of the bridge to remember those who participated in the march to Selma. Many workers were injured and some lost their lives on the day known as “Bloody Sunday”. There were several people in the march who had been with Dr. King at Selma, and Montgomery; they shared their stories of what it was like to be a young person of teenage years making and witnessing history in demonstrating for equal rights for black people in the United States. (more…)

It’s finally happened. It was almost like waiting for your cousin to give birth to a new baby by C-section. You know she’s going to give birth on a specific date and time. You may even know the sex of the child.

That’s what happened when the Illinois state legislature conducted a very public impeachment trial of former Governor Rod Blagojevich. We knew, as did the governor, when he was arrested on December 9, 2008, that it was just a matter of time before he was ousted from the office with much fanfare. The publicity, flamboyance and circus atmosphere surrounding Blagojevich’s actions while governor and his subsequent trial were equal to the way he conducted himself while governor.

We have no fault with what he did. As far as we can see he did nothing wrong. No lives were lost; no one was irreparably harmed. Yet on Thursday, January 29, 2009 the Illinois State Senate voted unanimously, 59-0, to remove Rod Blagojevich from the office of governor, never to hold public office in the state again, for abuse of power. (more…)

Excerpt of the Inaugural Address delivered by Barack Obama, 44th President Of The United States on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 in Washington, D.C.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. (more…)

At high noon today, Tuesday, January 20, 2009 in the crisp cold air of the capital in Washington, D.C. the 44th POTUS was inaugurated.

In the presence of members of both federal legislative bodies, the members of the Supreme Court, with the presidential oath of office administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States as prescribed by the U.S. Constitution, Barack Obama became the first Black African American of our era to become the leader of the free world. (more…)

Happy birthday, Michelle Obama! Congratulations and best wishes are in order for the future First Lady of our land. (more…)

The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on this day, January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

As Americans we are compelled to have long holiday weekends. The King holiday is no exception and with the upcoming presidential inauguration of the first non-white, African American the next few days will be filled with national celebration. (more…)

Finally, just five days before moving into the White House, Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha will be moving into the traditional executive guest house known as Blair House. This news comes from Rachel Swarns of the New York Times Politics Blog. (more…)

Lately we’ve been hearing that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s claim he had influenced US President George W. Bush to direct Secretary of  State Condoleezza Rice to abstain on the measure she initiated (more…)

Congratulations to cub reporter Damon Weaver! The young Florida elementary school cub reporter has received press credentials from the official Inaugural Committee for the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama on January 20, 2009 in Washington, D.C.  (more…)