Stroll along D.C.’s U Street corridor and you get a glimpse of the illustrious history of an important African American neighborhood. On any given day, crowds spill out from storefronts, restaurants, and train stations, lining the street in eclectic droves.
Today, Inauguration Day, just before noon, the street was empty. But step inside Next Door, the sister restaurant of Ben’s Chili Bowl, a popular staple of the neighborhood, and you get a glimpse of where the people are.
A diverse mix of about 100 people crammed inside, all eyes centered on large screens broadcasting the Inauguration of the 44th President. Long shots reflected the crowd, estimated at 2 million, packed into the National Mall to witness the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.
Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States, used his inaugural address to promptly charge Americans to help lead the way in bringing change to the nation.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said to a crowd estimated at 2 million people.
Nizam Ali stepped away from his staff behind the Next Door bar and sat alone with his cell phone to his ear. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he spoke, every few seconds looking back up at the nearest television screen.
“It’s just incredible,” said Ali, 38, co-owner of both Next Door and Ben’s. “Of course seeing the first African American president is tremendous, but the second part of it is that our country’s problems will get fixed. It’s not going to get fixed overnight, but we actually have someone in the White House who’s going to force us all to start working. It’s extremely exciting to have someone there who gets it.” His wife also cried on the other end of the phone.
Ali was pleased with the crowd this morning, which shared the space with BET, also broadcasting from the location. Among the viewers at Next Door were five white students from American University. Liz Callahan, 20, said the group opted not to go to the Mall to experience the inauguration, and instead chose U Street for it’s historical significance.
“We wanted to come because we knew this is a very historic neighborhood and we knew there’d be a lot of people who weren’t necessarily always super-politically active, but still really interested.”
Amanda Hamedany, 20, also of American University said that coming to U Street helped her put the moment into global perspective. “I think what’s nice is that we have the support of the world right now.” She spent three months in Paris last year and was encouraged by the enthusiasm for Obama that was not unlike that of the U Street neighborhood today. “I think having the support of the rest of the world kind of reaffirms the fact that we are an international community.”
In his speech of nearly 20 minutes, Obama also put the moment into global perspective. "Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more."
Police patrolling U Street reported no incidents this morning, only a euphoric feeling among the people. Claudia Webb, who traveled from Chicago for the occasion, felt it too. “It’s such a warm feeling to be able to see this in