Locals witness history, find inspiration in D.C.

WASHINGTON - As Barack Obama placed his hand on Abraham Lincoln's tattered Bible to be sworn in as America's 44th president, Kim White started crying - and couldn't stop.

"I cried through the whole thing," the 44-year-old Naperville resident said.

White and her husband Benny brought their son B.J., 17, and daughter Logan, 12, to witness history, hoping Obama's inauguration as the first president of color will bring a new tone to race relations.

"It was something I never expected to see in my lifetime and to think they get to see it first hand. It just makes the reality of it set in," White said.

"I thought it was really epic," said son B.J. "Wow! This is really happening."

The Whites' story was just one of millions unfolding across the nation's capital Tuesday, setting a dramatic, sweeping backdrop for the new president's historic swearing in.

Suburbanites traveled hundreds of miles to be part of that moment, dotting the crowded landscape from the long and wide National Mall to the tightly secured seats beneath Obama's towering stage.

More than five blocks down the mall, Kevin Allen of Addison was struck by the silence that fell across the crowd when Obama placed his hand on that storied Bible.

"As soon as he said, 'So help me God,' the crowd erupted for at least a minute, just hugging and high-fiving each other," he said. "I even got hugged a few times."

The moment brought tears to Allen's eyes.

While the day was about Obama, in the massive crowd it also became about each other, in an unparalleled gathering of more than a million from every race, creed and generation.

"It was something I had never seen before in my life," said Donna Mohn, a Naperville Central High School teacher who brought 28 students to the event. "There was no pushing or shoving. People were saying, 'Good morning,' and just raising their hands and screaming. Today is a good day to be an American. It is probably the most proud I have ever felt."

Celebrities with Illinois roots, from Oprah to John Cusack, also were among those who came to watch.

In the prized seats just below the stage loaded with dignitaries, Aurora Township Clerk Juan Thomas felt the same.

"I talked to more people out there than I ever have," he said. "Everyone was so happy to just be in the moment, to be in that space."

From her Capitol lawn seat, state Rep. Elaine Nekritz still had a hard time believing what she saw.

"I have to tell you, I was so amazed that somebody I know personally ... he's standing up there taking the oath of office," said the Northbrook Democrat. "It was gripping to me."

The hordes of people, however, did create a few problems, mostly caused by overcrowded public transportation leading to hours-long lines at security that cost some people a direct view of the ceremony.

Catherine Melchert stood in line for several hours singing folk songs with the crowd, but when it became clear she wasn't going to make it in before the inauguration started, she ducked into a nearby building and watched the ceremony on television.

"It was good to be there anyway," said Melchert, Bartlett's village president. "The tenor of the moment was all positive."

Other attendees were disappointed that a chorus of boos rang out after President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were introduced. At one point the Mall crowd began singing "Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye."

"As a Republican, it was a little disturbing," said Greg Koeppen of Grayslake, executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau.

But Koeppen applauded Obama's message of bringing America together. And it was that message and the hope it has inspired in so many that brought the crowds.

Four generations of women in Eleisse Pettigrew's family were there. Eleisse, 12, and her mother Renita, 42, of South Elgin, held onto each other in front of the reflecting pool as they watched history unfolding. Eleisse's grandmother, Donna, and great-grandmother Essielee, 90, were connected by telephone.

"America has come a long way," the young Eleisse said. "There used to be slavery, and then segregation, and now we have an African-American in the White House."

Saying she felt blessed to share the moment with her daughter, Renita Pettigrew noted that her grandmother's grandmother was a slave.

"You just have this feeling that the direction of our country, in terms of how we interact with each other, has changed," Renita Pettigrew said. "Everyone was just like kindred spirits. There was so much laughter and chanting, but it was silent during that moment (when Obama took the oath). It was almost like people were holding their breath. There was so much energy, positive energy, in the air."

Other suburban families shared the sentiment.

"For us, it's important to be here," said Alysia Dempsey of Naperville. "We brought our four daughters to witness history. We've always told them anything is possible. For them, I feel blessed that they were able to experience this."

The Dempseys made the cold morning trek to watch events from the Treasury Building courtesy of a family connection.

"Not only am I proud to be an American," Dempsey said. "I'm very proud to be an African American. I'm hopeful for so many things, but I'm hopeful for my daughters' future."

• Daily Herald staff contributed to this report.