By Kelin Hall
CHICAGO — Prof. Robert Gooding-Williams and DuSable Museum historian Charles Branham agreed Tuesday that the rhetoric and performances at the Obama inauguration symbolically marked a turning point in American history and politics, at a post-inauguration screening talk in Mandel Hall.
But Branham, a former history professor and the Emmy-winning writer, co-producer, and host of the first nationally televised series on African American history, said we must “resist the temptation to over-read this astounding, emotional moment …we don’t know what it means.” Being a historian had taught him one thing, he said: “Things change very slowly.”
The talk was part of the University’s weeklong series of events celebrating legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and looking forward to the inauguration of President Barack Obama. A standing-room crowd of more than 1,000 people filled Mandel Hall to watch the inauguration ceremony and speech on television; about 100 stayed afterward for the panel discussion.
Obama’s presidency is not an anomalous event, but a big step in a long process, Branham said, which built on recent contributions of Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, and other African American politicians.
But he also stated that that “simply by his being,” Obama has “changed too much” to permit a return to the status quo on racial politics. He said that Obama would give rise to “little Obamas, a new generation who would emulate him.”
Gooding-Williams, a professor of political science who is interested critical race theory, philosophy, and literature, said Obama’s ability to channel the “rhetoric and rhythm of the African American church into political discourse,” à la Martin Luther King, is truly distinctive. This, and Obama’s campaign phrase— “They said this day would never come”—he said, evoked the African American accomplishment much more subtly and effectively than more overt statements.
Aretha Franklin’s performance, he said, changed his expectations for national hymns, and Elizabeth Alexander’s poem was the “most engaging, least predictable,” part of the event, which “brought it back to the ordinary,” affirming Obama’s message that we need changes not just in policy, but in the way we treat each other.
Showcasing African American talent, Gooding-Williams said, symbolically affirmed the African American accomplishment. Branham said that in contrast, the “bombastic” nature of the inauguration’s opening sermon and introduction, and the un-nuanced linking of Obama with King’s legacy, left him “unimpressed.”
Reflecting on Obama’s ability to live up to people’s elevated hopes, Branham said that his campaign, beating a war hero and the most respected person in the Democratic Party, paired with his character, made him confident that Obama would “do better than anyone else would do.”
“Any man who invited his mother-in-law to live in the White House is quite the diplomat,” he said, to much laughter. “Even his enemies admit he had a disciplined and technically advanced campaign that let him get and keep 12 million Facebook friends. He’s got a reservoir of support unlike any other president.”
A standing-room-only crowd of more than 1,000 people packed Mandel Hall on Tuesday to view the inauguration. Discussion including a University professor and DuSable Museum historian followed.Photo: Lloyd DeGrane
Students intently watching Tuesday's inaugural program from Mandel Hall.Photo: Lloyd DeGrane
Wallace Goode, Associate Dean of Students, speaks at Tuesday's program. Photo: Lloyd DeGrane
